How is This Supposed to Work
by jbn42
Summary: On a trip to get some new X-Wings for the Resistance, Poe and Rey make some discoveries about their relationship to the Force, to each other, and to the Resistance.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Not Connections Series and not Pilots and Professors. Something else. Yes, have new chapters of both P & P and Defining Balance underway too. I just am so scattered that it's hard to focus, and I have a LOT going on at work and real life too… Hope y'all enjoy. **

**Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.**

Poe Dameron, once again a commander, pulls off his hat and runs a hand through his hair after dismissing his small unit. The Resistance is currently hiding on the moon of a planet not far from Hoth, and it's kriffing cold. Not as cold as Hoth – he's been there – but still cold enough that a night outside their base, an old mining facility (he wonders to himself just how many damned abandoned mines there are in the galaxy) built into the side of a mountain, could kill you.

It's only two standard months after Crait, and he just came in from a foot patrol with some of their new recruits. He could arguably not do the patrols – he's now 2IC of the Resistance behind Leia, something that he still finds unbelievable. But he wants to set the right tone for the new kids, and he also acknowledges that he likes to get outside every once in a while, and they only have one X-Wing right now.

Of course, there aren't many pilots left, either. It's him, C'ai, Chewie, and Rey. They have a simulator, though, that they managed to salvage from an old base where they'd stopped briefly to regroup, and Poe has been helping Rose hone her skills and teaching Finn, Connix, and a couple of the newbies the basics.

The old base is also where they got the one X-Wing, an old T-65 that Rose, Chewie, and Rey had managed to resurrect from a very derelict state. It's something of a rustbucket, but it's better than nothing. They have that, two small shuttles, and the Falcon.

After he dumps his cold weather gear other than his scarf in a storage locker, he rolls his shoulders against the cold and then bends forward, trying to stretch his lower back and left hip. Ever since Kylo Ren blew up the fighter bay on the cruiser, throwing Poe off of his feet and making him land hard on his hip, both his back and hip have been problems for him. The cold here doesn't help that in the least. As he twists, trying to pop his back, a series of binary beeps gets his attention.

"Hey buddy, what's up?" Poe smiles fondly at BB-8, who rolls up to him, bumping his leg gently. The little astromech lets another series of beeps loose, and Poe nods. "General Organa needs me in Command?"

BB-8 beeps out an affirmative, and rolls out of the room, Poe close behind. Since the general hadn't comm'ed him when he was outside, he knows it's not an emergency. He stays close to BB-8 but doesn't hurry. When he gets to Command, the room is fairly empty, reminding him with a pang of self-loathing how small their numbers are now. Leia has a small office set up at the back of the room, and he heads towards it, surprised to see Finn, Rose, C'ai, and Rey already there. The ever-present Connix also hovers near Leia.

Their resident Jedi-in-training gives him a small smile, and he nods, rubbing one hand on the back of his neck. She is a conundrum to him. They are often at odds – both tend to like to take the lead, but he is nominally the one who actually is in the lead most of the time. He likes her, admires her, and he'll admit it, despite her being over ten years younger than him, he harbors a small crush on her – the way she treats his droid alone endears her to him, and BB-8 follows her around as much as he follows Poe.

But even so, she pushes all the time, wanting to go after the First Order, wanting to fight, and they're just not ready for that. It drives him crazy, because, to be honest, he agrees with her. The reasonable side of him, though, reminds him that they've already lost too many due to his own brash behavior, and he'll be damned if they lose any more. He's as frustrated as she is, but he can't express that – it's not fair to Leia, and it's not right for the Resistance. If they try to hit at the First Order now, they'll be annihilated.

Leia spots him, and she motions him over. "Thank you for joining us, Commander. Hope you're decently thawed out."

He snorts as he walks over. "Somewhat, General. Probably as well as I will ever be on this floating chunk of ice." As Leia chuckles, Poe sees Rey shiver, and he feels a flash of empathy. They both grew up on warm planets – though admittedly with very different climates – and they've bonded some over how cold it is here. He goes and stands near Rey, pulling off his scarf and passing it wordlessly to her.

She takes it with a surprised smile, making a happy little sound when she wraps it, still warm from his own body heat, around her neck. "Thank you." She bumps his shoulder as she softly speaks. She relishes the warmth from the scarf but also that he noticed she was cold and cared enough to try to help.

"Anytime." He bumps her back.

"If you two are done, can we get started?" Rey and Poe both look up in surprise, and Leia is looking at them with an eyebrow arched.

Rey blushes lightly, but Poe grins and motions for Leia to continue. "Go right ahead, General."

"Thanks, Commander," she responds drily, and she launches into an explanation of why they are there. Poe, who is rarely still, freezes in place when Leia explains that they have a line on two new T-70 X-Wings. She talks about assembling a team to go get them from a system on the Outer Rim, and Poe blinks. He has to force himself to stay quiet, as every piece of him is mentally screaming that he wants to go.

Rey can actually feel the tension rolling off of him. She makes an effort to not feel the emotions of the people on the base, but with Poe and Leia in particular, it's hard. She doesn't say anything, but he's standing close enough to her for her to brush her leg against his. She learned early on that the pilot is highly tactile. It doesn't take much to anchor him, to help him settle. He's usually happy, but she catches waves of frustration and sadness from him that always bring her up short. He is a puzzle to her, one that fascinates her. His experience and clear ease with the general also intimidate the hell out of her.

Rey feels Poe relax when Leia looks at the recently-promoted C'ai and says, "Captain Threnalli, you'll stay here to fly the T-65 if we need air cover. Chewie, you'll stay and do the same with the Falcon, unless you object, Rey?"

"No ma'am. Where exactly will I be?" She's instantly curious.

Leia pops up a star map. "You, Finn, Rose, R2, BB-8, and Commander Dameron here will go get the X-Wings." She looks at Rose. "Miss Tico, you are able to capably pilot one of the shuttles, correct?"

Rose stands a little taller. "Yes ma'am!" Finn grins and squeezes her shoulder.

"Commander, obviously, you'll have the lead on this one." She looks at Poe.

"Yes, General. I assume you're looking at Rey and me to fly the T-70s back here?" Poe is almost giddy, and he makes himself push that down.

"I am. R2 is going to fly with Rey. Take the simulator with you – Rey may need to practice on the X-Wings." Rey bristles. She is an excellent pilot. Poe notices when Rey tenses, and he puts his hand on her lower back just as she'd brushed his leg earlier, trying to help her settle. It surprises Rey, but it also works, the warmth of his hand seeping through her tunic. Leia seems to be ignoring them as she points at the map. "You're going to Tatooine."

"Seriously?" Poe stands up straighter, his hand dropping away from Rey's back. "How the hell did they end up there?"

"Why is that a surprise? What's special about Tatooine?" Rey looks at Poe, confused.

"There isn't much there, but Rey – " He pauses, looking at Leia.

Leia looks around the room. "Everyone but Rey and Poe, go ahead and get ready. You leave tonight."

As the others leave, Poe puts his hand back on Rey's lower back to guide her over to Leia. He's not sure why he's doing it, except that he started doing this sort of thing a couple of weeks ago, and she doesn't seem to mind. "What's going on, General?"

"Nothing, Rey. It's just that Tatooine is where Luke was raised and where Ben Kenobi, Obi-Wan, lived." Leia sighs. "Anakin Skywalker was born on Tatooine. Luke was raised by Anakin's mother's stepson and his wife."

"Oh." Rey sways a bit. "I didn't see that coming."

"You all right, Rey?" Poe guides her to a nearby stool, and she sinks down on to it.

She nods. "Yes. It just surprised me."

Leia follows them. "Rey, if you prefer to stay here, you can. Captain Threnalli can go with Poe to bring back the other X-Wing."

Rey shakes her head. "No, it's fine. Really, General."

"There's one real positive to Tatooine, at least for you, Rey." Poe grins at her. When she looks confused, he explains, "Weather is a lot like Jakku. At least you won't be cold, except maybe at night."

She laughs, and Leia rolls her eyes. "You're dismissed, Rey. Commander, a word?"

Rey starts to take Poe's scarf off, but he shakes his head and ties it loosely around her neck. "As miserable as I am here, I know it's even worse for you. Keep it."

She smiles again, but she's also acutely aware of Leia watching them closely. "All right. Thank you, General. Poe, I'll see you at the shuttle?"

"You will. Bring that staff of yours. You're scary with that staff." He steps aside, and she rises, nodding to both him and Leia as she leaves.

Poe turns to Leia after watching Rey leave. Leia is back to looking at him with an arched eyebrow. "What was that about, Commander?"

Genuinely confused, Poe says, "What was what about?"

"The scarf, your hand on her back," she pauses, "Her brushing your leg?" His eyes widen at the mention of her brushing against his leg, and she snorts. "Yes, Poe, I saw that. Have you really not figured out that I see everything?"

Poe shrugs, doing his best to seem nonchalant. "It's nothing, Leia. We're friends, and she's easy to read. When she's upset, I like to make her less upset. I do it with you too, you know."

She ignores the last part, focusing on the first part. "Poe, she's not easy to read."

"What?" That's not the response he expected. "She is! I barely have to look at her to know how she's feeling."

"I'm serious, Poe. That girl can be as stoic as the day is long." Leia pauses, obviously thinking about what he said. Then, her own eyes widen. "You're sensing her through the Force, Poe."

He furrows his brow. "Leia, I can't use the Force."

"Not volitionally, Poe. But do you almost hear her in your head? Feel what she's feeling?" He looks confused, so she says, "When you sense that she's sad or upset, do you start to feel sad or upset, too?"

His brow stays furrowed for a moment, but then he blinks and looks at Leia. Shock courses through him. "Leia, how is that possible?"

"How much time did you spend sitting by or even in the Force Tree back on Yavin?" Poe sits down hard on the stool Rey vacated a moment ago. "Poe, I'm fairly sure that Shara might've been a little Force-sensitive. It wouldn't stun me if you are too – and growing up climbing a Force Tree might have enhanced that. You have to admit that the intuition you have in an X-Wing, your reaction time, is unusual."

"You've never brought this up before, Leia." He gives her a funny look, realizing that it hurts his feelings a little.

"What purpose would it have served, kid? You do not have the temperament of a Jedi, and you also don't seem to have any active power. Luke would have picked up on it, you know? He would've tried to get Kes to let him train you." She shrugs. "Of course, Rey isn't exactly a typical Jedi, either – and that's a good thing. My father told me about his Jedi friends – solitary lot – the only one who branched out did so disastrously."

"Anakin."

Poe doesn't phrase it as a question, but Leia nods anyway. "It turned him into Darth Vader. But Rey doesn't have the hang-ups of the Jedi. And honestly, I think the way they feared personal connection – and yes, it was fear – hindered the Jedi." She tilts her head. "Now, back to you and our resident Jedi. What is going on?"

"Really, Leia, nothing. We're friends. Even if she liked me that way – and I'm guessing she doesn't – I'm way too old for her." Poe looks down at his hands. That means he doesn't see it coming when Leia gently whacks him on the back of the head. "What the hell was that for?" He looks back up at her, eyes narrowed.

"You're about twelve or thirteen years older, right?" At his nod, she puts her hands on her hips. "Not much difference than me and Han. Also, she's maybe a little older than I was when I met Han, and just like me, circumstances have made her more mature than her age would suggest. So, try again."

After a moment, he finally stands up and says, "She deserves better than the guy who nearly singlehandedly destroyed the Resistance, General. May I be dismissed?"

"Poe," Leia begins, but he still isn't really ready to talk about it all.

He closes his eyes. "Please, General. I can't do this right now."

He hears her sigh. "All right, Poe. But you can't use that as an excuse forever. I am more Force sensitive than you, and I can tell you that Rey only truly relaxes around three people. Chewie, Finn, and you. No one else, not even Rose. And out of the three of you, Poe, you are the only one who makes her give off a feeling of being confident and strong. Chewie and Finn want to protect her – you let her be herself."

"You've seen us spar, haven't you?" He opens his eyes and looks down at her.

"I have. You're the only one willing to actually fight her." Leia gently pats his cheek.

"She kicks my ass. Regularly." He rolls his eyes. "And why in kriffing hell would I hold back? She would just kick my ass faster."

She shrugs. "Ask Finn and Chewie. They both hold back like crazy."

He nods, sensing – and now wondering exactly what that means – that she's done with the topic. "Back to the briefing for a moment, Leia, how did the X-Wings end up on Tatooine?"

"I called in some favors. You'll have to make contact with my source when you get there, instructions are on your holo now. We'll probably get a few more fighters next month." She frowns. "My son is on the move, or, I fear, he's letting Hux go on the move. More and more people, even weapons traders, are getting sick of the domination and destruction. The attack on the Hosnian system alone was enough to alienate many." Her frown fades. "I have a line on a new cruiser, too."

Poe smiles and shakes his head. "Of course you do." He gives her a smart-assed salute, but before he heads to the door, he asks with a grin, "Can someone find me some black paint for one of the T-70s?"

"Go, Commander, before I make you stay here and let C'ai go." Leia gives him a stern look, but he can see the affection in her eyes.

He salutes again. "Yes ma'am. Going, ma'am."

In her small bunk on the Falcon, Rey is throwing a few things in a bag, including her set of sand-colored clothes. She also grabs the broken pieces of her lightsaber, not sure what she'll do with them, but wanting them nearby. She looks around her small space. Leia had offered her a room in the sleeping area of the old mine, but she'd declined. She likes her space here on the Falcon. Chewie is in the next room, and it just feels safe to her.

She sits on the edge of her bed and wonders what Leia and Poe are discussing. She has a feeling it's at least partly about her, and that makes her nervous. It's her own fault, though – she knew the moment Leia noticed her bumping Poe's leg with her own. The woman, Master Luke's sister, is far stronger in the Force than she lets on, so it's no surprise when Leia reads her like an open holonovel – she thinks Leia can read Poe, too.

Her mind settles on Poe. He puzzles her. No one has given her any indication that he is able to use the Force, but he fairly hums with it – the aura of it follows him everywhere. She only really picked up on it a few weeks ago, one of the times that they were sparring.

He likes to joke that she kicks his ass – his words – every time, but the actual truth is that she doesn't. He absolutely stays on the mat with her, mainly because of his reflexes and ability to anticipate her moves. The fact that he's only a little taller than her but significantly heavier and broader doesn't hurt him, either. He's fast, strong, and has a low center of gravity. She does usually take him down, but it requires concentration and effort on her part, not to mention an occasional Force assist.

She stopped sparring with Chewie and Finn because they both try to coddle her. They're both significantly bigger, but she thinks they would, even if they weren't holding back, be easier for her to take down than Poe is. But it's neither here nor there, because they both act like she needs a protector. She doesn't. She needs an ally. A partner.

That last thought makes her sit up straighter on her bed, shaking her head. She quietly admonishes herself. "As if someone like Poe Dameron would ever think of a nothing kid from Jakku as a partner."

She stands and picks up her bag. Before leaving, she runs a hand along the bulkhead. She loves this old crate. She knows that both she and Chewie sleep here to feel closer to Han. She shakes her head. She knew the man for just a couple of days, but he and Finn changed her life forever.

She sighs, wrapping Poe's scarf back around her neck. It smells like him – the soap they all use but with an earthy undertone that must just be him. She brings one end of the scarf up to her nose and inhales deeply, blushing lightly as she briefly closes her eyes and wonders what it would be like to be enveloped in his scent. The squawk of a porg makes her jump and open her eyes. She shakes her head and leaves her room and then the Falcon, going to the shuttle to meet everyone, grabbing her staff and a second one on her way out.

When Poe gets to the hangar, blaster on his hip and a small pack over his shoulder, he sees C'ai waiting for him near the entrance. His tall Abednedo colleague wordlessly passes him a bag that Poe had asked him to put together. "Thanks, my friend." C'ai nods and heads back towards Command with a wave.

Poe heads to the shuttle, where he sees Finn, Rose, and Rey waiting along with the droids. Rey is crouched down, listening to BB-8 and nodding along. Poe is amused but not surprised that she understands binary – she actually can at least understand (even if not speak) multiple languages owing to life at a trading outpost like Jakku. She understands C'ai and Chewie, too. He also notices that she still has his scarf on, something that makes him far happier than it should.

"Everybody ready?" Poe asks as he approaches.

Finn is the one to respond. "Yes. All loaded up. We have food and supplies for a few days, and R2 is already on board."

Rey stands, and they all trundle on to the shuttle. Rose looks at Poe. "Commander, do you want to take us out?"

"Rose, it's Poe. And no, you can do it – she's yours to fly. Let me know if you need a break, though." Giving up the helm is worth it to Poe when he sees Rose's bright smile in response. The small woman is a spark they all need. Finn follows Rose to the cockpit, and Poe stays with Rey, who has settled at a small table in the tiny common area of the shuttle. There are also a couple of bunk rooms so they can get some sleep on the relatively short trip to Tatooine.

From the front, he hears Finn call, "Me and Rose have the room on the right – there are separate beds, hope you two don't mind sharing."

Poe rolls his eyes and goes to the room on the left. Noting Rey's staff leaning against one of the beds, he throws his stuff on the other one before joining Rey at the table. Though it's decently warm inside the shuttle, he notes that his scarf is still in place around her neck. "You all right, Rey?"

She looks up with a smile. She'd known that he was there and had been wondering if he'd join her or head up to the cockpit. "Yes. I'm good."

He settles next to her. "We should probably make some food for us all."

She nods, fiddling with something in her hands. He peers at it. "Is that?"

"A broken lightsaber? Yes." She holds up the pieces. "I don't know why I carry it around."

"May I?" Poe reaches for it, and she nods, handing the pieces to him. She watches him as he examines the broken parts, his quick eyes scanning over all of the bits. "Rey, the crystal looks to be mostly intact. Maybe you could salvage it if you can build a new casing."

"I'm good at fixing things, but I don't even know where to start." She frowns, but then she looks up at him. "How do you know about the crystal?"

"My mom was good friends with Luke and was Leia's pilot. She was pretty close to all this stuff when I was a baby." He shrugs. "She told me stories about it all until – " He goes silent.

She notices that his mood changes immediately at the mention of his mom. It's an odd mix of sadness and something she can't quite place, but it warms her in a surprising way. "Until?"

He hands the pieces back to her, and the warm feeling fades. "Until she died." He stands up and goes to the small kitchen, pulling out some food for them.

Rey blinks in surprise, and she follows him. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. How old were you?"

"Eight." He swallows hard, irritated with himself that the memories can still get to him. He feels Rey next to him, her leg brushing his again.

"She was a pilot? What was she like? I can't remember my mother at all, or my father." Her voice is soft as she goes to work helping him get food together.

He smiles. He doesn't remember the last time he got to talk about his mom. "She was a great pilot, and she started teaching me not long after I could walk. She was beautiful and gentle and kind, and," he motions to the food, "An abysmal cook. Abysmal. Dad did all the cooking, and he taught me."

"Was he a pilot too?" Rey is amazed by the warmth she suddenly feels radiating from him, returning in full force.

Poe laughs. "Kriff no. Dad was a Pathfinder, ground troops. He was actually in Han's units more than once."

"Really?" Rey stops what she's doing to look at Poe.

Poe nods. "Really. I have holos somewhere of me as a baby with Han and Chewie. Dad was on a mission and Mom had to fly Leia somewhere, and they were the available babysitters."

"I have to see those!" She grins, and he loves the way her eyes light up. "Please tell me there are some with Chewie holding you."

He nods. "There are, and the better ones are of Han carrying me around in one of those baby sling things." Poe's face softens a little. "You can tell he didn't know he was being filmed – he doesn't look pissed off at all."

Rey laughs softly at that, but Poe feels a pang of sadness from her. They finish putting the food together, and then they take it up to Finn and Rose. They see R2 and BB-8 already plugged into charging stations. Poe says, "Rose, you good?"

She nods with a smile as she accepts her food from Rey. "I am. It'll take over half a day to get there – we're good for now. Do you and Rey want to take a break first?"

Poe peers at Rey, and she shrugs and nods. "That's fine."

"All right, you two," he says to Finn and Rose, "Come find one of us when you need a break."

As they head back to the bunks, Poe puts his hand on Rey's back again. She yawns, surprised at how tired she suddenly feels. He feels the same. The patrol today was long, and at least to his internal clock, it's getting late.

After they settle at the table and eat their own food, he tells her to go ahead and use the refresher first. When she does, he goes through his bag to grab some comfortable clothes to sleep in. She comes back wearing clothes similar to his (with, he notes, his scarf thrown over one shoulder), and he goes to take his turn.

By the time he returns to their room, the lights are dimmed, and Rey is sound asleep in her bunk. He groans to himself, because she looks even younger when she's asleep than she does when she's awake. He watches her for a moment, then, admonishing himself for being creepy, he extinguishes the small light that she left on over his bunk and climbs into bed. Not quite ready to sleep, he pulls out his holo and reads through the information Leia sent him.

A little over an hour later, he startles awake, the holo in his lap clunking to the floor of the room. He blinks several times, looking around wildly. The room is still dark, but he hears a whimper from the direction of Rey's bed. She's quietly thrashing around in her bunk, clearly caught up in a nightmare. He swings his legs off of his bunk and is across the room in seconds, perching on the edge of her bed.

Carefully, he reaches towards her. "Rey?" One of her hands swings out towards him, but his reflexes don't fail him. He catches her hand, taking it in his and rubbing her arm with his other hand. "Rey, sweetheart, wake up. Come on, Rey." His voice is soft as he tries to coax her awake, and her body stops thrashing, though he can feel that her pulse is racing. "That's it, wake up."

His holo is lit up on the floor, and it casts a scant amount of light around the otherwise pitch-black room. It's enough for him to be able to see it when she blinks awake. Her face is confused at first, but then she seems to process that he's sitting there. "Poe?"

He keeps a hold on her hand, and he can feel tremors begin to hit her. "Yeah, sweetheart. You're all right." He's not sure why he keeps using the endearment, but he isn't going to waste any brain power on it right now. "It was just a dream, whatever it was."

She blinks a few times, tears coming to her eyes. Then, on impulse, she sits up and throws her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. He only hesitates for a moment before wrapping his arms tight around her, pulling her close to him and sliding a little more onto her bed. She shakes in his arms, trying to push the images from the dream out of her head. Terror rips through her at the thought that she may never be able to rid herself of the dreams, of Kylo.

He furrows his brow as he feels the tremors in her slight frame. He also feels fear rolling off of her, and it starts to seep into him as well. Without thinking, he says, "Sweetheart, whatever it was, whoever it was, you're safe now. You don't have to be afraid."

Rey leans away from him, her tear-streaked face a picture of surprise. "Poe, how did you know?"

Poe swallows hard, not sure if he should tell her but guessing that it might help. "I can just feel it, Rey. Leia thinks I'm sensing you through the Force."

Rey blinks, pulling back further, but staying close enough that her legs touch his. He takes her hand again. "No one has ever said anything about you using the Force. I can tell, but – "

He stops her. "Wait, you can tell? I didn't even really realize it until Leia pointed it out to me after the briefing today."

Blushing lightly, Rey looks down at their joined hands. "The Force follows you. I can just feel it around you. I don't know how to explain it."

Poe's mind races at Rey's words. He's barely had time to consider what Leia told him, to wonder at the truth of it, but this feels far more definite. "Are you sure, Rey?"

"I am. You really didn't know before today?" Rey looks amazed at the idea. "As odd as it sounds, and I'm sure Master Luke would roll his eyes and scoff, the Force, I think it likes you."

Trying to process that thought, Poe just stares at her. She holds his gaze for a moment, but then she yawns.

"I should let you get back to sleep, sweetheart." He starts to release her hand, but she doesn't let him, holding tight.

"Could you, maybe, stay here?" She asks the question meekly, and at his surprised expression, she explains, "I don't sleep much. Enough. I have a lot of nightmares, you know? Maybe not being alone would help." She finishes quietly, blushing crimson, mortified at herself for asking this of him.

He's silent for a moment, awed that she trusts him enough to ask this of him. He stands, and her face falls. He releases her hand, and she lets him go this time. But then, he surprises her, cupping her cheek with his palm and leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. He steps away, picking up his holo pad and switching it off, making the room completely dark. He comes back to her bed. "Scoot over, sweetheart."

He actually feels relief from her, and he blinks as his eyes adjust to the increased darkness. He hears her shift away, moving towards the wall behind her bunk. He touches the mattress to judge the space, and then he slips into the small bed, settling on his right side (he's glad that's the side that works – he still can't manage sleeping on his left side because of his hip).

After he pulls the blanket up over both of them, she immediately scoots into his space, pressing herself against him. "You're so warm."

He chuckles and jumps slightly when her foot comes in contact with his lower leg. "And you're like a little Jedi chunk of ice."

She presses her face into his neck as she giggles. A moment later, she sighs softly. "Thank you, Poe."

Even as he feels her relax into sleep, even as he does the same, all he can say is, "Any time, sweetheart. Any time." He knows this is probably a bad idea, knows that he shouldn't assume anything from it beyond this moment, but he sets that aside, knowing that they need to be ready for whatever happens on Tatooine. They can talk about this later, he resolves, tightening his arms around her and letting sleep take him.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Shorter (3000+ words, but yes, shorter) than my usual, but felt like a good stopping place.

Not Connections Series and not Pilots and Professors. Something else.

Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.

Banging on the door makes them both startle awake. Poe hears Finn yell, "Wake up, you two. It's been six hours – we're halfway there and need a break. R2 has the helm right now." Rey hears him too, and she reaches up to turn on the small light over her bunk.

Blinking, Poe yells back, "All right, Finn. We'll be up there shortly. You two get some rest."

Finn acknowledges him, and they hear the door to the room next door clang shut. After his eyes begin to adjust to the light, Poe notices that Rey has her face buried in his neck. "Sweetheart?"

"I don't remember sleeping that long without a nightmare ever in my life." She clings to him, hiding her face. She's embarrassed to admit that she's never actually shared a bed with someone before. It crosses her mind that there are so many things she's never done. Kriff, until Finn, she could count the number of hugs she'd ever received at zero. And other than things like "kid," no one has ever used an endearment with her, especially not in the gentle tone Poe is using with her.

"Rey?" Poe is starting to worry. He doesn't like that she won't look at him, and he can sense that she's embarrassed. Wanting more than anything else to put her at ease, he says, "Rey, sweetheart, while I can't say that I've never slept that long without nightmares, that's definitely the longest I've slept uninterrupted since before," he starts to say since Kylo tore his mind apart, but he just says, "Since before D'Qar and Crait."

It never occurred to her that Poe might be struggling, too. He's very good at hiding it. She finally pulls back and lifts her head, scooting up a little so that she is even with him on the pillow. "Really?"

Some of her hair falls into her eyes with the dubious question, and he reaches up and gently brushes it back. "Really. It's been a rough few months."

"I didn't know." His hair is messy and falling into his eyes too, so she reaches up and repeats his earlier movement, brushing his hair back. She is surprised when she does, surprised by how soft his hair is. Instead of pulling her hand back as he had, she lets her fingers rake through the curls, her hand coming to rest on his neck with her fingertips still grazing the edges of the shorter hair at his nape.

His breath catches at the touch, and he realizes that she might have no idea how she's affecting him – and she is definitely affecting him. He swallows hard and tries to keep his breathing regular, but for the first time this morning, he is acutely aware of how close they are, how soft she feels, and how her legs are tangled with his.

Rey is puzzled by the wave of emotion she feels from him, and even more puzzling to her is how his pupils blow wide, leaving his eyes more black than brown. The emotion feels like apprehension mixed with something warm, something she doesn't recognize at all. Their eyes lock, and she doesn't quite know how to read the expression on his face. She tightens her hand in his hair, her nails scratching gently at his neck, and the same wave of emotion comes from him. This time, though, the warmth is starting to edge out the apprehension.

Out of nowhere, a clunk sounds against the door, and then it swings open. Poe sits up quickly, nearly falling out of the bed. BB-8 rolls in, beeping at them. He scrambles out of the bed, trying to be casual about it. He says, "Yeah, Buddy, we're coming. Give us a few more minutes, all right?"

The droid looks back and forth between her and Poe a few times, seemingly confused. Then, after Poe clearly gives him a look, he beeps out a tentative-sounding affirmative and rolls back out again.

Rey sits up, a little surprised by Poe's reaction to BB-8's unexpected intrusion. He shakes his head, almost like he needs to clear it. "Poe, are you all right?"

He blinks a few times before focusing on her. He feels a wave of uncertainty from her, and he realizes that she is truly confused. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, BB-8 just startled me. Do you mind if I go use the fresher first?"

"Of course, that's fine." Rey nods, but she still is confused. She has no idea what just happened, but she feels a little like she did something wrong.

Poe grabs his bag, and he turns for the door. He looks back at Rey, who now sits on the edge of her bunk. She seems to have regulated her emotions, but she still looks confused. He's not all right with that. He turns and comes back to her, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "I'll let you know when I'm done, sweetheart."

She seems to visibly relax, and she smiles up at him. "All right. And thank you for last night, Poe."

He nods. "You're welcome. I'll see you in a minute." Once he leaves and gets to the fresher, he closes the door and stares at himself in the mirror. "She's nineteen, Dameron. Nineteen. Keep it under control."

The truth, though, is that he needs to figure out how to talk to her about what just happened. Given her confusion, it's clear to him that she doesn't know how she was affecting him. Leaning on the washbasin, he drops his head and groans softly. He cannot begin to figure out how to talk to her about this without making her completely mortified. He drags his hands through his hair and shakes his head. He looks in the mirror again. "Get it together, man. If this is the toughest thing you deal with today, it'll be a good day."

A few minutes later, he emerges. He put his clothes from the day before back on, but he didn't bother to shave. He taps on the door to the bunk room they shared. She opens it, her own bag on her shoulder. He smiles at her, trying to be as normal as possible. "Fresher's all yours. Do you want some food and some caf?"

She nods. "Yes, I can get it, though!"

He shakes his head, tossing his bag into the room. "No need, I'll just grab some for both of us and meet you in the cockpit."

"All right. Thank you, Poe." She gives him a shy smile.

"Anytime, sweetheart. See you in a minute." He walks over towards the kitchen area while she heads to the fresher, feeling a little better, though she's honestly still confused.

In the fresher, she washes her face in the sink. She grabs a small towel from the rack to dry her face, and when she does, his scent hits her. It only takes her a moment to figure out that she just used his towel. She buries her nose in the small cloth, inhaling deeply. It brings back the memory of falling asleep with him last night. She can't remember ever feeling truly safe while going to sleep. On Jakku, she always had to be a light sleeper. If she wasn't someone could hurt her or steal what little she had. Since then, Kylo Ren haunts her through the remnants of the bond Snoke created.

It's not lost on her that she and Poe also seem to be developing some sort of bond, but it's natural – organic. That kind of connection feels like how it should happen, not something forced. But his reactions this morning seemed strange. When she put her hand in his hair, the look in his eyes was something she's never really seen before.

But then it hits her. She has seen that look before, or, more specifically, a variation of it. A jolt of fear lances through her as she remembers the moments in Snoke's throne room, the moments when Kylo tried to get her to join him. It was definitely a variation – it was something that demanded that she follow him, something that made her uncomfortable. His anger that she didn't want to stay, that she didn't want to rule with him, had frightened her. His willingness to simply kill Han, to let Leia die, those things are not acceptable to her. She doesn't understand how Ben came from Leia and Han. It makes no sense to her.

The look in Poe's eyes this morning, though, it was different. There was something there, something seeking connection, but she realizes that Poe wouldn't demand – he would ask – and he would respect her refusal if she did refuse. The way he spars with her speaks of his respect for her. And yet, being willing to climb into her bed with her just to help her sleep, giving her his scarf because she was cold, shows that he wants her to feel cared for, even safe.

She goes to hang the towel back on the rack, and she can't help but take a deep breath in it one last time before spreading it over the bar. Then, she thinks about him pressing his lips to her temple before he left to go to the fresher. She stares in the mirror, combing her hair but leaving it loose, as she thinks about how that kiss felt.

Suddenly, it's like a light goes on in her mind. Her stomach flips over a little, and she puts the comb down as her mouth drops open. Might Poe be interested in her as something other than a friend, other than someone to fight beside? She blushes lightly at the thought, but it also makes her relax slightly, understanding what might've happened this morning. She's certainly never been intimate with anyone before (though, her mind unhelpfully supplies, sharing a bed is pretty intimate) – she's never shared much more than Finn's hugs and the soft kiss Poe pressed to her temple this morning.

Putting her sleep clothes (and she marvels at the notion of having different clothes for sleeping) away and packing up her comb and soap, she picks up her bag and leaves the fresher. After dropping her bag in their room, she heads for the cockpit, putting her hair in a messy, loose braid as she walks.

When she gets there, she sees him going over all of the controls, double-checking Rose's light speed calculations. His concentration is seemingly absolute, and she remembers Finn's story about them stealing the TIE fighter to escape, how quickly and easily Poe had mastered it. Sometimes she forgets that being a pilot is who he is – being a Resistance leader is more his job, his role.

She raps her knuckles on the bulkhead as she comes in, and he looks up in surprise. He'd used running the recalculations as a distraction a moment ago, but, without thinking, he blurts out what he'd needed to be distracted from the moment he sees her. "Are you all right? Did something scare you?"

Her mouth drops open in surprise. "What? Why do you ask?"

He suddenly looks sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Well, I sort of," he pauses, taking a deep breath and making a decision to just tell her the truth. "Felt it. I felt it, Rey."

She approaches him, dropping into the co-pilot's seat. "You felt it? You can feel what I'm feeling?"

He shrugs. "Yes, sometimes. If you're upset or out of sorts."

"And when I'm not?" This is different from her – with her, she can always tell how he is and Leia is, even when they're at ease, though that's fairly rare.

"I don't hear you. I know you're around, but I don't sense what you're feeling." He rubs the back of his neck again. "I swear I don't do it on purpose."

He says that last bit like it's something important, something that's meaningful for him, and she files that away mentally. "I know." At his confused look, she clarifies, "What I mean is that I know it's not something you really do on purpose." She sighs. "I can feel Leia the most, then you, then Finn, then, well, kind of everyone else. But the three of you are the only ones I can separate out from the noise without even trying. I just feel you all."

He doesn't say anything, so she looks out the windshield of the cockpit at the smeared light of hyperspace. "This, oddly enough, is a nice break. Less to sort out, less noise."

He'd frozen up a little when she said that she can hear him. His mind races as she talks, and he focuses on the fact that it's noise to her. He needs to have clarity on something, though. After a moment, he asks, his voice strained, "You don't look in, do you? If you do, please stop, I can't, not again – "

"Of course not!" Rey sits up straighter in her seat. "I would never do that. It's a terrible violation." She feels angst and fear rolling off of him, and something about what he said hits her. She furrows her brow. "What do you mean by 'again,' Poe?"

"Probably about the same time you were rescuing BB-8, I was a guest of the First Order, and of Kylo Ren in particular. When I wouldn't give anything up to the Stormtroopers after they beat the crap out of me, Kylo had a go. That's how he knew to go after BB-8 back on Jakku." A tremor runs through him at the thought.

His hand is on a console between them, gripping it so tight that his knuckles are going white. She reaches out and takes it in hers, entwining their fingers. "Kylo did it to me too, first a little on Takodana, then on his ship, but he didn't get much. I was able to push him out." She takes a deep breath. "But Snoke, he got everything. I was helpless."

"Yeah, that's exactly the word. Helpless. I don't like to feel that way – I swear the last time I'd felt like that was when I lost my mom." He goes quiet, amazed that he's sharing thoughts like that with her. He doesn't share how often he's felt helpless since Crait and D'Qar, but that's a conversation for another day.

Rey looks thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe I can teach you."

Poe looks up sharply. "Do you think you could?"

"I don't know. Leia might be able to help, or maybe even Maz. Someone connected to the Force." She sighs again.

"You think Maz is connected to the Force?" He blinks.

"You think she isn't?" Rey counters with an incredulous look.

Poe holds his hands up, smiling gamely. "Fair point. And if you think it would help, we can try to pay her a visit when we get back to the base."

"I'd like that. She was quite kind to me, and I didn't respond well." Rey looks down at their hands, still entwined on the console. "I wasn't exactly used to kindness. It was a mistake on my part."

"I'm sorry, Rey." His voice is soft, and he squeezes her hand.

"Why?" She furrows her brow again. "What for?"

He shakes his head. "I'm sorry that you weren't used to kindness."

Rey doesn't really have a response to that, but she senses sincerity behind the words. She also searches for pity, but she doesn't find any. That's a refreshing change for her. With one last squeeze to his hand, she pulls back, reaching for the dried fruit and piece of bread in a bowl next to her seat. She motions to it. "For me?"

At his nod, she digs into the food. "Thank you."

He picks up his cup of caf, nodding in acknowledgement. He leans back in the seat. Flying in hyperspace is actually pretty boring. It's mainly just watching the stars slide by. After a moment, he says, "I know Leia said to bring the simulator, but do you think you need it? The truth, please, Rey – no pride here."

She bristles as she had in Command, but then she relaxes. She realizes that he's honestly just asking. "I think I'm fine on it. I've done simulations of the old T-65s and even flew our old T-65 one time. Are they significantly different?"

"Not too different – more electronics, that's for sure. Want me to run through the differences for you?" He looks at her, and she nods. He launches into an explanation, and it strikes her that he would be a good teacher. For all his clear competitiveness and impatience, his knowledge of the crafts and clear love of them would make him excellent in front of a group of trainees.

She curls up in her seat with her own cup of caf, listening intently and enjoying the warmth that radiates from him when he talks about flying and X-Wings. She occasionally peppers in a question, but for the most part, she just listens.

After spending so many years with no one to talk to but herself and a doll she made, his easy, surprisingly gentle company is like a balm to her, filling in some of the empty places in her that years of solitude created. It's also clear to her that he has no agenda with her, nothing he needs her to be other than herself. She feels the same about him – she's far more interested in Poe as a person than as a leader or even a pilot.

The descriptions of the X-Wings lead him into talking about learning to fly in his mom's old A-Wing, which leads to some stories about himself as a kid that have her laughing so hard that it makes her cry. She even tells him a few stories on herself, finding the old Rebellion helmet, learning to move throughout the old Imperial wreckage, and even of meeting Han and Chewie and learning first-hand what a rathtar is.

She also tells him about meeting Finn and escaping on the Falcon without knowing what ship it was. Poe had expressed outrage at Rey calling the Falcon "garbage," but she'd defended herself, noting that she didn't know that it was The Millennium Falcon.

Several hours later, Finn and Rose both shuffle into the cockpit, each with a cup of caf for themselves and fresh ones for Rey and Poe. Giving Rose the helm, Poe heads back to the bunk room to grab his holo tablet. He flips through the notes that Leia sent him, quickly reading who their contact is and where to meet him. The name he sees makes him grin and shake his head.

He heads back to the cockpit. "Rose, when we drop out of light speed, I have coordinates for a meeting place."

Rey looks at him. "What will we do when we land?"

"We'll wait – the window we have is about a day." He grins. "I know the contact. This is going to be worth it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: OK, so moving along. May try to crank out another bit tomorrow. Rose and Rey bonding ahead… Oh yeah, and I just had to add "karking" to my Word dictionary.**

 **Not Connections Series and not Pilots and Professors. Something else.**

 **Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.**

A short time later Rose lands the shuttle easily in a section of Tatooine that is rocky and mountainous but also mostly deserted. R2 beeps nervously when he observes the terrain, fretting about Jawas and restraining bolts and getting sold. Poe is a little twitchy at letting someone else take the controls, but he sits in the co-pilot's seat, ready to help Rose if she needs him but not intervening. After they land and Rose and Finn go to the back of the shuttle, Rey squeezes his shoulder and murmurs, "Admirable restraint, Commander."

He huffs out a laugh. "Was I that obvious?"

"Probably only to me, if it makes you feel any better." She smiles at him. "Now who is this contact, and why did you look so happy about it?"

"You'll have to meet him to understand. I've known him since I was a kid, but I haven't seen him in almost twenty years. I can't wait to see if he recognizes me." Poe grins. "And no, I'm not telling you who it is until he gets here. Come on." He stands up and beckons with his head.

When they join Finn and Rose, Poe gives them a quick rundown on Tatooine. He warns them in particular about Jawas and Sand People, Tusken Raiders. With regard to the former, R2 and BB-8 need to be with one of them at all times. On the latter, Poe's main concern is Rose being protected, but he makes it clear that no one is to go anywhere outside the ship alone.

Finn expresses incredulity. "I understand Rose needing someone with her, but – "

Poe shakes his head. "Finn, the Tusken Raiders are vicious, they are brutal, and they don't travel alone. There may not be that many left these days, but the intelligence says there are at least some. We are armed and in pairs at all times. The Jawas are not violent, but they'd swipe a droid at the first opportunity. Tatooine is not a friendly place. And none of this is really up for debate. Pairs. Droids never off the ship alone. Are we clear?"

Rose and Rey look surprised at Poe's hard line on this, and Finn nods a little begrudgingly. Feeling the need to help Finn understand, Poe adds, "Finn, this isn't a statement on whether or not you can handle yourself. Though I'm fairly sure, for the record, that Rey could kick both of our asses." Rey snorts, and he shoots her a quick smile. "This is about prudence, not pride."

Finn nods. "Sorry, Poe. I know you didn't mean anything by it."

"No problem, buddy." He turns to Rey and Rose. "Rose, Rey, can you stay here and keep an eye on things? I'm going to take Finn and walk the perimeter."

Rose nods, announcing that she wants to go run a diagnostic and heading back to the cockpit. Rey, on the other hand, bristles as Finn had a moment before. Poe senses irritation rolling off of her, and he looks at Finn. "Finn, can you go grab your blaster? I'll be there in a moment."

When Finn leaves, Poe turns back to Rey. "What's wrong, Rey?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." Her words are clipped, and she crosses her arms over her chest. "And don't try to read me or interpret my feelings right now."

"Sweetheart, I don't have be able to sense anything through the Force to see that something just pissed you off. What gives?" Poe mirrors her stance.

"Why am I the one to stay here?" Her brow furrows. She knows he values her skills, but she assumes, maybe after she had nightmares, that he's going to start coddling her the way Finn and Chewie try to.

"Because Rose is our weakest link, and I want our strongest fighter here to protect her and the ship." He is trying to be patient, but both Finn and Rey are starting to rile him a bit. Her face softens, but he finds himself a little irked. He stays focused on Rey. "But Rey, and I'm going to say the same to Finn, I am the one in charge here. You know I value your friendship, your skills, and your input on pretty much anything, but I also don't want to have to explain every order I give, and you and Finn both questioned me right out of the gate. I'm being patient this time. I won't be every time. I need to know that you're going to do as I tell you, especially if things go sideways like they always seem to."

Rey blinks in surprise. She's used to amiable, loyal, dedicated Poe Dameron. This version, the Leader, makes her realize that he's far more layered than she's been giving him credit for. She uncrosses her arms, and she approaches him carefully.

Once she's right in front of him, she says, "I'm sorry, Poe. You're right. We were both out of line just now." She feels a flash of embarrassment. "We spend so much time, all of us just as friends, that we forget sometimes that we're in a chain of command. Don't be too hard on Finn about it, all right? I think it's hard for him – going from being completely controlled to this, a situation where he can make choices. He's trying to find his place, his balance, you know? Even with my isolated life, I think I can navigate the nuance at least a little better than he can. My life had almost none, but a stormtrooper's existence is literally devoid of nuance."

Poe nods. "Fair enough. I'll talk to him about this, but I won't be too hard on him." He tilts his head and looks at her in a contemplative way. "And I'm not sure what I felt from you a minute ago, but Rey, you also need to know how much I trust you. I am not going to start treating you like you're made of glass. Finn and Chewie mean well, but I do know how frustrating it can be to be underestimated."

"I was mad because I thought you were leaving me here to protect me, that maybe you'd decided to go protective on me because of last night." She shuffles her feet a little, looking down at the floor. She feels like an idiot and can't help but feel like the way she reacted was akin to a petulant child, likely reminding him of how much more mature he is. She fears it will push him away, not pull him closer, which is where she realizes that she wants him – closer.

He frowns, and he notices that her cheeks have gone pink. Poe immediately steps up to her. In a soft voice, he says, "Sweetheart, look at me." She shakes her head and keeps her eyes on the floor, and he tentatively reaches towards her eventually using two fingers under her chin to tip her face up to his, the distress and embarrassment suddenly rolling off of her in waves. He's shocked when he sees tears in her eyes. "Rey, what is going on?"

"I'm a mess. A complete and utter mess. I'm an untrained sort-of-Jedi who no one has ever wanted. I make impulsive decisions, I stole ancient Jedi books, I lost my lightsaber, I went to Snoke's ship believing I could turn Kylo, but in the end, I'm just a nobody. I'm nothing." A few of the tears roll down her cheeks.

Poe blinks, but then his mind goes into high gear. While he knows he needs to find Finn and go check the area around the ship, he also knows she might shut down if they don't talk about this now. He reaches up and taps the comms they all put on. "Finn, you there?" When Finn answers, Poe says, "I need a little time. Just stay inside at the ramp, I'll be there in a little while."

Poe then looks at Rey, gently taking her arm and turning her, then moving his hand from her arm to her lower back, guiding her towards their bunk. Once they go in, door shut behind him, he levels her with a look as she wraps her arms around herself. He approaches and cups her cheek with one hand, wiping away some of the tears with his thumb. "Rey, sweetheart, you gave me a lot to unpack there. First, you're not nothing, you're not nobody. I don't know why you'd ever think that. It's laughable."

She leans into his hand, and he goes on, "On the other things, if you think you're the only person to ever make an impulsive decision, you're insane. I mean, have you met me? And you didn't 'lose' your lightsaber. It was broken in a fight with the jackass you cared enough to try to help. I do get that it was that – trying to help because you believed it was right."

"You wouldn't have done it, Poe." She keeps her eyes cast down.

"You're right, I probably wouldn't have, but Rey, the guy ripped into my head without mercy or remorse. I'm not going to feel a huge amount of sympathy or charity towards him, no matter who is parents are." He shrugs. "I'd like, at some point, to understand why you did it, though, to understand why you thought it would work."

She nods, but in her head she screams no at the idea. She's terrified that if he finds out about the forced connection with Kylo, Poe will turn his back on her. She looks up at him, and she's startled by the amount of concern in his eyes. She raises her hand to cover his on her face, entwining their fingers.

Poe can feel fear coming off of her, but more than that, when she covers his hand with hers, he can feel that she's shaking. He knows he needs to go meet Finn, but he wants desperately to make her smile again. "Now, last thing. You stole ancient Jedi books? Really? I mean first, ancient Jedi books are a thing?" He lifts an eyebrow at her. "Where did you steal them from? And where do you store such things? And can you read them, I mean are they in Basic or something else? I have questions, Rey. Many, many questions."

She can tell from his expression that he does want to know the answers to his questions but is also teasing her. She has to bite back a smile, and she primly replies, "Yes I stole ancient Jedi books, yes they're a thing. I stole them from the inside of the Force tree on Ahch-To, I store them in a drawer on the Falcon, and R2 is trying to help me because they're not in Basic. I'd ask 3PO, but he's rather annoying."

He huffs out a laugh at the last comment, and she can't stop her smile now. He shakes his head. "Only 'rather' annoying?" She smirks, and he adds, "I want that story too, sweetheart, but I need to go check the area with Finn."

He starts to pull his hand back, but she holds it tight in hers, turning her face sideways to press a kiss to his palm. Despite how chaste the movement was, takes a deep breath at the feeling of her lips on his skin. She looks at him. "Thank you, Poe."

He pulls their joined hands towards him and echoes her gesture, pressing a soft kiss to the back of her hand. "Anytime, sweetheart." They finally drop hands, and she heads for the door to the room. Before she can open it, he catches her arm with a light touch. "And Rey, by the way, if you want to see another Force tree, there's one I can show you."

She stares at him, surprised. "What? You know where there's a Force tree besides the one on Ahch-To?"

He grins and reaches around her to open the door. "I do. Grew up climbing it." He presses another kiss to her temple as he passes her to go meet Finn. Against her skin, he murmurs, "And also, whether or not you were wanted before, you are certainly wanted now."

Rey watches him go, scolding herself for how much she finds herself enjoying the view. She blinks. When did she start thinking about anyone like that, much less Poe, who is fast becoming what she'd call her best friend? She shakes her head. She's kidding herself. The man is nothing if not nice to look at. Over half of the women at their base seem to spend their lives watching him. She also realizes that a lot of those same women, who Poe seems oblivious to, give Rey dirty looks when he's with her in the mess or in the sparring room.

She contemplates the fact that she didn't even notice how karking pretty he is until today. Of course, she noticed his eyes the moment she met him on the Falcon – how could she not? But as much as she thought they were pretty, what she really could see and feel was that they were kind. Rey goes to common room and sinks down on the floor, sitting cross-legged, intending to try and meditate. She can't focus, though. Her feelings are all over the place. Then, suddenly, an idea occurs to her. "Rose!"

Rey jumps up and nearly runs to the cockpit, where she finds Rose running some diagnostics on the shuttle. "Rose?"

The little mechanic looks up at her, smiling. "Hey Rey, you all right?"

"How do I know if I like someone?" Rey blurts out the words, her cheeks going pink.

Rose blinks a few times before grinning. "You mean someone like Poe Dameron?"

If possible, Rey's cheeks blush even darker. "What? No! I mean, maybe? Force, Rose. I don't know! I don't know how to navigate any of this. I mean, we slept together last night – "

"You what?" Roes sounds outraged. "What did he do?"

It's Rey's turn to blink, suddenly confused. "Why? Is that bad? He just, you know, helped me sleep?"

Rose is suddenly taking deep breaths, her own cheeks red. "Twenty kilos heavier and nearly a head taller or not, I will kill him."

"Rose, explain!" Rey's brow furrows. She's completely bewildered by Rose's reaction. "How is keeping me company after a nightmare so awful? I asked him to stay with me. I was so upset, and he did, no questions asked. What did he do wrong?"

Relaxing immediately, Rose shakes her head. "Oh Rey." She sighs. "All right Rey, first things first. 'Slept together' may sound innocent, but it means something other than just sleeping, at least most of the time." When Rey still looks confused, Rose adds, "Sex, Rey. We slept together usually means people have sex."

Rey's eyes widen. "We didn't do that!" Wrapping her arms around herself, Rey adds softly, "Rose, I wouldn't even know how to start that. I don't even know if I want – " Rey pauses, blushing. Rose looks a little disappointed, but Rey just goes on, "Well, maybe more that I don't know if he wants that, wants me that way."

Rose's face softens, and she places a small hand on Rey's arm. "Rey, let me address the last part first. Yes, I'm pretty sure that he wants you. His eyes follow you everywhere, he can't stop looking at you. And it's not weird or creepy, it's soft, it's admiration, it's care. He notices you, and as far as I can tell, outside of a minor flirtation here and there over the years – nothing serious ever – he doesn't notice people, at least that's what Paige told me, and trust me, the pilots all knew what was up with each other. It's all about the cause for Poe. He is all about the cause. But he's different with you."

"Why me? Why would someone like him want me?" Her voice is quiet and unsure.

"Rey, why would someone like Finn want me?" Rose shrugs. "The heart knows what the heart wants. It's rarely simple and even more-rarely logical." She tilts her head and looks thoughtfully at Rey. "Maybe it's that you don't know or care about the Poe Dameron Mythology."

Confused again, Rey says, "The what?"

Rose chuckles. "Best Pilot in the Resistance, son of two Rebellion heroes, heavily recruited by old family friend Senator slash Princess slash General Leia Organa. He's a legend. The pretty factor doesn't hurt, but I honestly think the reason that more than half the women and at least a few of the men want him is that they are enamored with the image. You only see the man. And for what it's worth, Rey, I think he sees you as you first, Jedi second, you know? Because if anyone knows what it's like to be categorized unrealistically, it's him."

Rey thinks about it. "So, back to my original question."

"How do you know?" Rose asks. At Rey's nod, Rose goes on, "Are you nervous but comfortable all at once? Does your heart beat faster when he's nearby? Do you notice things like the way he smells or think about whether you prefer it when he shaves or not or what he likes or what calms him down? Stuff like that."

"Oh." Rey says. "He smells kind of clean and earthy all at once. And he touches people far more than I'm used to, but he also likes to be touched. When he's worried or upset, he calms down if I just bump his shoulder or leg. And I like it when he doesn't shave every day."

"Um, Rey? You definitely like him." Rose grins. "Definitely. And I agree. He looks really good just a little scruffy."

Rey's eyes widen, and she tries to absorb what Rose told her. She stands. "I'm going to go wait for them. Call me if you need anything or see anything on sensors, all right?" Rose agrees, and Rey turns to go. Before she leaves, she turns back. "And Rose, two things." At Rose's nod, Rey says, "One, thank you. And two, Finn wants you because you're you. You're fire and dedication and kindness and brilliance all in one, and you saw past the former stormtrooper stuff. He'd be stupid to not want you."

Rose tears up a little, and Rey reaches out and squeezes her friend on the shoulder. "He's lucky, Rose, so lucky that he met you."

Rose stands up and hugs Rey, who pulls her in tight. Rose mumbles, "Never thought I'd feel like this again."

"Like what?" Rey leans back.

"Even vaguely like I have a sister again. I miss Paige so much that it hurts sometimes. It'll never, ever be all right, but this makes it just slightly better." She sniffles a little, swiping at her eyes.

Rey hugs Rose again before stepping back and swiping at her own eyes. "I'm honored that you'd think of me that way, Rose." She squeezes Rose's arm. "I'm going to go change. If the perimeter looks clear, I'm going to see if I can get Poe to spar with me."

Rose smirks, eyes drying. "Is that what they're calling it now?"

"Rose!" Rey protests. "Stop."

"Call him Commander. That'll get his attention if you say it right." Rose persists.

Rey rolls her eyes. "Leaving now."

She has to laugh when Rose yells after her, "Use the big sticks. Maybe that'll give him the hint that you like him too!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: So this got a little angsty and then a little…something else. Back to work after the long weekend tomorrow, may likely be several days before I can update again - just fair warning!**

 **Not Connections Series and not Pilots and Professors. Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.**

Rey is waiting, BB-8 at her heels, at the ramp of the shuttle when Poe and Finn return. Rose had yelled to her that they were approaching, so she lowered the ramp for them as they got close. She has the clothes on that she wears to spar, a blaster on her thigh, and in addition to having her own staff with her, she has the second one that she brought with her. She'd cursed Rose good-naturedly when she turned bright pink while picking up the two staffs, thinking back to Rose's innuendo-laden comments.

Now, as she watches a very dusty Poe and Finn, she does her best to modulate her emotions, thinking back to Poe's comment that he's more likely to hear her when she's upset or highly emotional. As the two men arrive, Poe lifts an eyebrow at her change of clothes and the two staffs. She smiles at him, asking, "Is the area clear?"

"It is. Kriffing dusty as hell, but otherwise clear. No one around for as far as the eye can see. We're up in the hills – the Jawas are more likely to venture up here than the Sand People, and they're really only a threat to BB-8 and R2." BB-8 lets out an alarmed series of beeps at that, shooting deeper into the ship, heading for the cockpit. They all laugh, and Poe tilts his head, looking at Rey. "So, what's with the outfit, sweetheart?"

Finn does a double-take at the endearment, and Poe internally cringes, annoyed with himself for using it in front of Finn. Rey doesn't seem bothered, though, just waving them both in and offering them cups of water that she had ready. "If it was clear, and if you think we'll be waiting a while, I was wondering if you'd be up for sparring? Maybe with the staffs?"

"What, it's been two whole days since you kicked my ass and you miss it?" He smirks at her, and Finn sits there looking back and forth between them.

"Something like that, Commander." Rey shoots a shy smile at him after using what she imagined was the inflection Rose was recommending earlier. Given the way Finn chokes on his water and the way Poe's eyes widen, she thinks she did it correctly. She's proud of herself for that. She'd practiced several different inflections while changing her clothes. "What do you say, flyboy?" She tries something new. He seems prone to calling people things like "buddy" or her "sweetheart," but she notices that no one really uses a nickname with him.

Poe blinks a few times before grinning. He nods his head towards the staffs leaning against the wall. "With those? I'm not sure there's enough ice available on this shuttle for how much I'm going to be hurting later."

She smiles. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes, that's a yes. Give me a moment to change." Poe returns the smile, and then he nods to Finn. "Finn, you all right with staying here with Rose?"

Finn swallows hard. "Yes, sure."

Poe goes to their bunk, leaving Rey alone with Finn. He looks at her. "What the hells was that, Rey?"

Rey furrows her brow. "What do you mean, Finn?"

"Were you just flirting with Poe?" He puts his cup down on the table.

"I don't know, maybe?" Rey honestly doesn't know if that's what it was. "I've never flirted with anyone before."

Finn blinks again. "Were you trying to flirt?"

Rey blushes, looking down and wringing her hands together. "Yes." She looks up at Finn, oddly eager for approval. "Did I do it right?"

Rolling his eyes, Finn comes over to her. "Yes, Rey. I mean, if you were trying to get his attention, you definitely did. But where the hell did that come from? The 'Commander' thing?"

"Rose." Rey smirks.

"Rose? My Rose?" Finn opens and closes his mouth like a fish.

"You know another Rose, Finn?"

He rolls his eyes and puts his hands on his hips. "Fine, Rey. Make fun of me. Sorry, I'm just a little weirded out by one of my best friends flirting with the other best friend, who is also, by the way, calling you 'sweetheart,' and judging by your lack of reaction, not for the first time."

Insecurity washes over Rey again, and she knows her face falls a little as she deflates. She wraps her arms around herself protectively, and in a small voice, she asks, "You think it's weird?"

It seems to take Finn a moment, but then he rushes to Rey, putting his hands on her arms. "No, Force, Rey, no. Not weird like that. It's actually great. But, you know, he's like my older brother, and you're like my little sister, and it's weird. But not weird weird, just weird to me. That didn't make any sense, did it?" He gives her a chagrined look. "What I mean is that while it's strange to me because of how I think of the two of you, it's not weird in any other way. You two are so much alike that it's kind of scary."

Rey relaxes a little. "Good to know that it's not weird weird, just weird to you."

"I'm not going to live that one down for a while, am I?" Finn shrugs.

"Nope." Her smile returns as she looks at Finn fondly. "You'd be all right with it?"

"If it makes you both happy, then yes. You two are the first people who ever saw me as a person, or, maybe more importantly, as something other than a machine. You being happy would make me happy." Finn grins. "Just please no making out in front of me, you know?"

"Finn!" Rey protests, poking him in the side as she blushes and turns more serious. "Anyway, I don't know what he'll say, there are some things I need to tell him that I haven't."

"Have faith in him, Rey. We've all got shit, you know?" He gestures to himself. "Former stormtrooper."

Rey nods, and surges forward, hugging Finn. "Thanks, Finn."

Finn gives her a squeeze, holding her close. Poe watches them from the door to his and Rey's bunk. He'd opened the door to hear Finn say something about how they all have shit and the rest. He's not sure what they were talking about, but watching Finn hug Rey makes him shift a little and gives him a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Poe clears his throat, and Finn and Rey step apart. Finn smiles and squeezes Rey's shoulder. "I'm going to go find Rosie. Should I close the ramp behind you two?"

Poe nods. "Yes. And call us on comms if we get any transmissions."

"Will do. Rey?" Rey looks at Finn, and he adds, "Kick his ass."

Rey snorts, and Poe protests, "Seriously? Like she needs the encouragement."

Rey grabs the staffs and passes the extra one to Poe, pushing him gently towards the ramp. "Will do my best, Finn!"

"Come on! Next time, it's you, Finn, and you have to fight her for real!" Poe calls back over his shoulder.

Rey giggles as they walk out, the ramp closing slowly behind them. "Honestly, I'd rather fight you, flyboy."

"Really, with the flyboy thing?" He grumbles.

Rey feels color come to her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that you don't like that. I can stop."

Embarrassment rolls off of Rey, and Poe reaches out and takes her arm gently. "It's fine, Rey, I'm sorry. I'm just being grumpy. When I was called flyboy before, it wasn't exactly in a positive light. I know you don't mean anything by it."

"No, it's all right, I can stop – " Rey begins, staring down at the ground.

He cups her cheek in his palm. "I like it from you."

She looks up, and his eyes are warm and sincere. She only feels concern from him, and she shifts a little closer to him. "You don't have to just say that to make me feel better, Poe."

"I'm not doing that, I swear. I really do like it from you, sweetheart." He presses his forehead to hers. "It's kind of nice to hear someone say that in a way that isn't dripping with derision."

She looks into his eyes, enjoying being this close to him, and gives him a crooked smile. "All right. Flyboy it is." She steps back. "Is there a place big enough for us to spar?"

He seems a little flustered for a moment, but he recovers quickly. "Yes, just up that way." He indicates an area up the small rise in front of them.

Half an hour later, he lands on his back for about the tenth time. He only takes comfort in the knowledge that he's taken her down a few times, too. He's been practicing more and more with the staff lately, and he does know that he's gotten better.

She holds out a hand to him, and she helps pull him to his feet. He was right that it's dusty here, but it just kind of reminds her of Jakku. She can tell it's pretty foreign to him, though, based on how he brushes at his clothes nearly constantly. She doesn't want to stop sparring yet, but she realizes that he may be tired of going down.

But, he resets his position, and a moment later, they are going again. One thing she isn't sure that he's caught is that he's actually getting better at predicting her movements, so much so that she is having to work a lot harder every time to take him down. The both spin and dodge well, frequently with the staffs colliding before they both drop away.

This time, as she turns, he seems to know which way she's going, because one moment she's feinting left, and the next moment, he has her down with their staffs crossed dangerously close to her face. They both are breathing hard, and she gasps out an "I yield" before letting her staff fall to the side.

He does the same, dropping his staff to the right, and they both drop their staffs entirely. It takes him a moment to notice that their position is a little compromising, him straddling her, one knee on either side of her hips. He blinks and moves his hands to the ground to start to push himself up, but she puts her hands on his arms, holding him in place. He looks into her eyes, and he sees something there – something heated and curious, and he can't stop himself from leaning forward, giving her ample time to scramble away.

He leans down, the weight of his upper body on his hands, which rest flat on the ground on either side of her head. She tightens her grip on his arms as he leans down. Her own mind is racing. As he closes in on her, her brain warns her that she needs to tell him about the Force bond with Kylo before they go here, before she lets him kiss her. Without taking the time to measure her words, she bursts out with, "Snoke created an artificial Force bond between me and Kylo Ren."

He blinks, sitting back up immediately, brow furrowing. "Say that again, sweetheart." He moves off of her, dropping to sit at her side. She sits up next to him, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

"That's why I thought I could turn Kylo. Snoke made this bond, I could talk to him, to Kylo, through it, but Snoke engineered it, visions of the future, all of it. I didn't know what it was, couldn't tell it wasn't natural. If I'd been better trained, known more, I wouldn't have fallen for it." She drops her head to her knees.

She feels Poe go tense next to her. After a moment, he asks, "Are you still bonded?"

"No, not really." She sighs. "I think I broke it by refusing to stay with him and then shutting the door on him – literally – the last time I saw him through a bond. I think I severed the active bond. But he still scratches at it. I think that's a lot of what's causing my nightmares." He doesn't say anything, so, taking a shuddering breath, she adds, "I'm sorry. I should have told you and Leia both. I just didn't want you to turn me out."

That snaps him out of silence. "Rey, we'd never do that." He runs a hand through his hair, realizing that it's shaking. "What did you see when you did see him?"

"Just him. I could never see his surroundings, and I don't think he could see mine – he said he couldn't. The only thing he ever saw besides me was Master Luke." She shakes her head, tears welling in her eyes. "I can't believe how naïve I was, how arrogant. I know that he hated Luke, but he also murdered younglings, children, at Luke's Training Temple. He murdered his own father. How could I think there was something to salvage? Even if he has regrets, I recognize that what I never felt from him was actual remorse."

She stands up, walking over to stare out at the barren terrain off of the ridge they stand on. He feels ill, but it becomes readily apparent that she feels worse. As he thinks about it, he recognizes that what Kylo did to him was awful, but what Snoke did to Rey, using her, manipulating her, was actually almost worse. It was insidious, an indirect attack, something hard to see and harder to stop. He stands, following her.

Rey feels Poe come up behind her, hovering close but not touching as he usually might. "After he killed Snoke and we killed Snoke's guards together, he wanted me to stay with him. He wanted to let you all die on the transports, and start over, ruling the galaxy together. He told me I was nothing. Nobody. He told me how he'd seen my past, seen that my parents were junk traders who sold me off to Unkar Plutt for drinking money. He said I was nothing to everyone, but not to him."

"Hey, that was bantha fodder, Rey." Tears run down her face as he gently wraps his arms around her from behind. "I wish you'd told us this sooner, but Rey, you deserve better than someone who would say something like that to you. He found your soft spot and exploited it, just like Snoke did."

She turns in his arms, burying her face in his shoulder, her tears soaking the material of his shirt. "What if I'm a risk to the Resistance?"

He leans back to look at her. "Do you think you are? Really?"

She shakes her head. "I don't think so. I think he's mad because he can't find me, can't get to me. He may be powerful, but he's not Snoke." She swallows hard, trying to blink back the tears. "I swear, Poe, I swear that I will leave if I ever think I'm endangering us."

"No way." He shakes his head. "We'll figure it out if it becomes an issue, but letting you go is not the answer, Rey."

"But Poe," she begins.

"No, Rey. Not a chance. That is what the First Order would demand – or hells, they'd just kill you if they thought you were a threat to them. We are not the First Order. You are not alone, and we will help you." Poe is adamant about this, releasing her from his arms so he can bring his hands up to her face. He is almost desperate to get her to understand, almost panicked at the idea that she won't. "I need you to promise me right now that you won't leave."

"Poe – " She is startled by the intensity coming off of him, the need.

"Promise me, Rey." His voice is softer this time. "Please." He leans closer to her, his hands sliding into her hair, loosened by their sparring. He's so close that she can feel his breath ghosting against her lips. "Please promise me, Rey."

She bites her lower lip for a moment, a few more tears escaping. She doesn't want to leave, not the Resistance, not her friends, and not him. She truly wants to believe she can help and not endanger anyone. Her voice is a whisper when she replies, "I promise."

He surges forward then, pressing his lips to hers. She gasps a little, and before she can melt into him and the kiss, he pulls back and releases her, running both hands through his hair. "Kriff, I'm sorry, Rey. I should have asked."

She doesn't let him get far, though, reaching for him. She gets hold of his shirt, pulling him to her and pressing her lips back to his. She has no idea what she's doing, but he doesn't seem to notice or mind. One of his hands lands on her waist, and the other goes back into her hair. He deepens the kiss, and she feels him walking them until her back is against a huge stone formation. She gasps again when her back hits the rock, but instead of pulling back, he takes advantage this time, his tongue delving into her mouth.

Her mind goes nearly blank, focusing on him and on the sensations this is bringing up in her body. She also can feel the Force almost swirling around them, as if it approves somehow, if that's even possible. Her hands move, pulling his shirt free of his pants and then wandering to the skin of his back. The feeling of her hands on him like that makes him growl a little in the back of his throat, and she moulds herself to him even more closely.

As he presses Rey back into the rocks, Poe is surprised both by the intensity of her response to him and to the feeling of peace that seems to settle over them both even in the maelstrom of their physical contact. Her hands on his back are driving him crazy in the best possible way, but he also knows that they need to slow this down a little, that she is wholly inexperienced with this kind of intimacy.

He eases the intensity of their kiss, his hands moving down to hers on his back, pulling them away. He takes her hands in his, entwining their fingers, and he begins to pull back. She whimpers a little in protest, but he presses a few more soft kisses to the corner of her mouth before resting his forehead against hers, both of their chests heaving as they drag in much-needed air.

He turns them so that it's his back against the wall, and she tucks herself into his side, her head on his shoulder and his arms going loosely around her as they both try to regain a little equilibrium. After a moment, she asks softly, "Is kissing always like that? That intense?"

Poe chuckles just as softly. "No. Decidedly not. The past few minutes may have been some of the most intense of my life." Feeling the need to prove that, he turns his head slightly, kissing her gently. It's soft and nearly chaste, but it's also sweet and sensual in a way that promises something that feels like a future.

When he pulls away, she tucks her head back against his shoulder. "Oh."

He smiles, "Yeah, oh. As amazing as the other was, I almost like that kind better."

"I like them both," she offers shyly, "I think we need to practice both kinds more before I could choose a favorite."

"That can definitely be arranged, sweetheart." He tightens his hold on her. A moment later, he hears the scratch of a comm, and he pulls one hand free to pull his from his pocket. "What's up, Finn?"

He releases her completely as Finn replies, "We have a transmission, using the code the general gave us. Should get to us in twenty minutes or so."

Rey goes to gather their staffs, hearing Poe tell Finn that they'll be back shortly. After ending the call and tucking his shirt back into his pants, he comes up behind her again, hugging her with her back to his front. She leans back into him briefly before turning and pressing a quick kiss to his lips, just because she can. She then reaches up and tries to smooth down his hair. He does the same for her, trying to tidy up the hair that is now loose from her braid as she straightens her own clothes.

As they walk back, they carry their staffs such that they can hold hands, something Poe can't remember doing since he was a kid. As much as he's a tactile guy, he hasn't really been a hand-holder since his mom died. He eventually says, "So, I overheard Finn say something like 'we all have shit' – I take it this was yours?"

She nods. "Yes."

"I lost almost our entire fighter fleet and our entire bombing fleet taking out the dreadnaught, then I tried to lead a mutiny against Admiral Holdo."

"What?" She stops him, and he turns to look at her.

"That's my shit, Rey. My arrogance and desire to just hurt the First Order and then my desire to protect us without trusting our leaders to do that, that's my shit." He shrugs, but she can see the pain in his eyes. "I understand now. I wouldn't make the same choices. But it can't change what happened."

"I learned from what happened with Snoke and Kylo. That doesn't change the past, but it helps me deal with it. Did you learn from what happened?"

"Yeah. I learned a lot."

"It's why you're sensitive about orders being followed, isn't it?" She tilts her head thoughtfully.

"Yes. I know now what defying orders can cost." He looks at their shuttle. "It cost Rose her sister. That's on me. I can never make it up to her."

"She doesn't hate you, Poe. You know that, right? She knows that no matter what else, Paige died a hero. Don't devalue that for her." She squeezes his hand. "You have clear remorse, and you learned something. That doesn't fix things, but at least it's better than blaming someone else or walking away as if nothing happened. You're doing the best you can, Poe, and what happened then made your best better."

"How the hell did you get so wise, sweetheart?" He takes a deep breath. "Thank you, Rey."

They start walking again, and as they get to the shuttle, Poe spies a small cruiser descending rapidly through Tatooine's atmosphere. The shuttle ramp comes down as they get there, and the small cruiser lands nearby, close to where they were sparring, the space barely large enough.

Finn comes down the ramp with a large rifle ready just in case, earning him a nod of approval from Poe. Rey has her hand on her blaster, and Poe does the same. In the distance, they can see a man, followed by what looks like a protocol droid, approaching them. As the man clears the rise, Poe lets out a breath and relaxes, something Rey notices right away.

The approaching man has dark skin, greying hair, and he is wearing the most ridiculously improbable and impractical thing she's ever seen up close – a sweeping blue cape. Poe grins, though, and he moves forward. Rey stays with him as Finn stays on the ramp to lay down cover if needed.

It isn't. When the man spots Poe, he hurries up. "Well, I'll be damned. Kes and Shara's kid, right? You have to be – you look so much like your mom that it's kind of breathtaking."

Surprising him, the man wraps Poe up in a hug, which Poe returns before stepping back. He motions Rey and Finn both over. When they get there, Poe grins at them. "Rey, Finn, this is Lando Calrissian. Don't play sabacc with him, but he's otherwise all right."

 **Note: So yeah, saw Solo on Friday, knew I had to get Lando in. And his capes. His capes are epic. Solo is AWESOME, by the way. GO SEE IT.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Lando. And other stuff. More probably early next week.**

 **Not Connections Series and not Pilots and Professors. Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.**

Finn and Rey both look confused, and Lando grins bemusedly, looking at Poe. "Kid, is it possible that there are members of the Resistance who don't know who I am?"

Poe chuckles, shaking his head. He's about to say something when they hear a squeal from the shuttle's ramp. They all turn in surprise to see Rose barreling down to join them. She's nearly hyperventilating when she gets to them. "Oh my god, General Calrissian!"

Lando's grin widens. "Now that's more like it." He reaches out and takes Rose's hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Darling girl, it's just Lando now. What's your name?"

Breathily, Rose says, "Rose. Rose Tico."

Still holding her hand, Lando says, "Enchanted, Miss Tico."

Rose damn near swoons, and Poe just rolls his eyes. Finn, on the other hand, is now glaring at Lando, while Rey continues to look confused. She asks, "General? From when, the Rebellion? Did he know Leia, Han, and Master Luke? And Chewie?"

Lando comes over to Rey. "What was your name again, beautiful?" He reaches out to take her hand the way he had Rose's, but Rey warily slides closer to Poe's side, slipping her hand into his, something that both Finn and Rose clearly notice. It's not lost on Lando, either, if his knowing smirk is any indication.

Poe lifts an eyebrow. "Behave, Lando."

"Rey." There is something she finds vaguely familiar about this man. "My name is Rey."

"Rey what, beautiful?" Lando grins again.

"Just Rey, and Finn is just Finn." Realization dawns on her. "You were on Jakku once!"

For the first time, Lando looks surprised. "I've been to Jakku a few times. You'll have to be more specific, Just Rey."

"You stole some parts from Unkar Plutt!" She points at him. "Maybe four standard years ago. He was very pissed off."

"I was technically stealing those parts back, but how did you know Plutt, kid? If it was that long ago, you were what, fifteen? Sixteen?" All of Lando's smooth disappears, and he turns into the Uncle Lando that Poe remembers from childhood. Smooth Lando is the persona nowadays, but Lando isn't anywhere near as mercenary as he was when he was young.

Poe squeezes Rey's hand, and she explains, "Sixteen, and I was essentially indentured to him. I scavenged parts for him from the old Star Destroyers in exchange for food."

Lando's brow furrows. "I hope he didn't take out his anger on you, beautiful."

Rey shrugs. "Don't worry about it, Lando. It was always something with that walking, talking pile of bantha shit."

"I like you, kid." He gives her a kind smile, clearly recognizing that she didn't exactly respond to Lando's implied question. "Wish I'd known. I'd have taken you with me. No kid deserves to be stuck with a son of a moof milker like Plutt. If nothing else, I could've taken you to Kes. We know he's decent with kids." Lando winks at Poe.

Poe shakes his head and tucks Rey closer in to his side. "Pretty sure Dad would have freaked out for about ten seconds and then made up the spare room."

Lando nods. "How is he, Poe?"

"Pissed at me for not visiting for over two years. Other than that, perfectly fine. The First Order seems to be ignoring Yavin, at least for now." Poe shrugs. "Not like I could get him to leave even if I tried."

Getting down to business, Lando says, "Now, we have a few things to cover. The X-Wings are here, over in that mountain range." He indicates a far ridge. "Unfortunately, some smugglers are set up in the cave close to the caves where I have them stored. We need to get them out before the smugglers find them." He surveys the group. "I'm surprised Leia only sent you four. But she said you have a Jedi?" Lando cocks his head at Finn and Rose.

"In training." Rey says the words softly, and Poe squeezes her hand again as Lando's head swivels back to her.

Lando blinks in surprise, and he goes to pull something from his belt. Finn tenses, lifting the rifle slightly. Lando holds up his free hand. "Stand down, big fellow." In his other hand, he pulls out an old lightsaber. "This is for you, then, kid." He holds it out to Rey.

Her eyes widen, and she drops Poe's hand, reaching out and taking the old saber from Lando. "How, I mean, where did this come from?"

"No one is quite sure how it got off of the first Death Star. Most assume that it was taken by Darth Vader and then got lost or stolen, likely by someone who then sold it. Maz Kanata got it to me not too long ago, asking me to get it to Leia." Rey still looks confused, and Lando adds, "Sorry, that is Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber."

All of their jaws drop open at that. Poe told Finn and Rey, with a little help from Rose, about Obi-Wan, Anakin, and then Luke, and how Ben Solo's namesake protected Leia, Han, Chewie, the droids, and Luke from Vader on the Death Star. Rey steps away from them, feeling the saber warm and heavy in her hand. When she's clear of them, she activates it, and a soft, blue glow suddenly illuminates her face. She tries it out, moving it a few times, and then she begins to move in earnest, her face lighting with joy.

To Poe's eyes, she's the most beautiful creature to ever live. Even while he knows it's new to her, the light blue lightsaber seems to move like an extension of her as she spins her body and then the saber. Her movements are rhythmic, almost like a dance, and he can't tear his eyes from her. Next to him, Lando softly says, "Now I get why Leia knew the three of you are enough. I'm betting the big man can handle himself, and I know you can. But that slip of a girl could take both of you, couldn't she?"

"When she's using the Force, yes. With one hand tied behind her back." Poe nods.

Finn comes up next to them. "And when she's not, Poe?" Finn's tone is almost accusatory, and Poe is tired of it – tired of everyone but him, Rose, and Leia acting like Rey is made of glass. Neither Finn nor Chewie seem to understand that they not only make her mad but also undermine her confidence when they are so careful with her. On one level, he actually understands it with the Wookie, but Finn is pissing him off.

Poe finally looks away from Rey to level a look at Finn. "On a good day, I can actually take her down one time out of every three or four. Because I actually try when I spar with her."

Finn shakes his head. "I just don't want to hurt her, Poe."

"There are a lot of ways to hurt a person, Finn. You hurt her by not respecting her abilities." Rey deactivates the saber, and, moving to join her, Poe leaves Finn standing there in shock.

"That was amazing, Rey." Poe grins as he gets to her.

She looks at him and then at Finn. She lifts an eyebrow at Poe. "What did you do to him, Flyboy?"

Poe shrugs, unapologetic. "Told him the truth about something. He needed to hear it."

Lando joins them. "That was impressive, Little Jedi."

She smiles shyly, clipping the saber to her belt. "Thank you, Lando."

"Leia said you had one of Luke's old ones – what happened to it?" He looks at her, clearly curious.

She sighs, and Poe puts his hand on her back. "It was broken in a fight with Kylo Ren."

"Damn that kid." Lando shakes his head. "I still can't fathom that he came from Leia and Han. He was a bit of a shit from the day he was born, though." He sighs. "I told Leia I'm sorry I missed the memorial for Han. We spent our lives messing with each other, but he was a good friend. I miss the hell out of him."

Poe reaches out and squeezes the older man's shoulder. "You should know that the Falcon was the ship that saved the day yet again, Lando."

Lando brightens. "How is my old girl?"

"Your girl?" Rey blinks in surprise.

"Who do you think Han got her from?" Lando grins. "Bastard took her from me!"

"As I hear it, it had something to do with gambling, sir." Poe corrects him with a smirk.

With a shrug, Lando laughs. "Maybe."

Poe turns serious, and he leads the three of them back to Rose and Finn. He looks at Lando. "Do you think we can get close to the X-Wings with our shuttle?"

"Yes, or at least closer than we are now. I can distract them by flying low while you three get in position. Miss Rose," Lando turns to the little mechanic, "I assume you're the shuttle pilot?"

"Yes sir!" Rose grins.

Lando reaches out and pats her arm. "Stay close to them, but out of range of any blaster fire, all right?"

Poe looks at Lando. "Do you have a plan, or do we need to work one up?"

"My part is to show you where they are and then help you get back to your base. The actual assault to get past the smugglers is up to the three of you." Lando shrugs. "I'm a little too past my prime to be much help in a ground fight."

Poe knows that it pains Lando to admit that, but he also appreciates the candor. "What do you mean, help us get back, Lando?"

"Leia didn't tell you?" Lando looks surprised. When Poe shakes his head, Lando explains, "That little cruiser is for you all. I'm going to hang around a while after I join you all, help Leia with getting more ships and supplies. I've got a fair number of stashes and a fair number of friends who are not fond of the First Order. Those bastards make it hard to be a proper criminal these days."

Poe chuckles and shakes his head. "Does the cruiser have a bay big enough for the X-Wings and the shuttle?"

"It does." Lando grins. "In the interest of security, my only crew are droids, too, so I may let you and Miss Tico drive some."

"I can do it too," Rey adds.

Poe nods. "Rey and I will be the ones getting the two X-Wings out of there."

Lando eyes Rey, and she once again shifts closer to Poe, taking his hand again. "A Jedi and a pilot? I'm impressed, young lady."

"Thank you." Rey squeezes Poe's hand. "Flyboy, we should go change and then work up a strike plan."

Finn gives them both a funny look. Rey doesn't seem to notice, but Poe shoots him a challenging look back. Then it dawns on him that Finn seems to be going all big brother on him. Shaking his head, he puts a hand on Rey's back and guides her into the shuttle. He looks back one time, and he has to swallow a laugh when he sees Rose whack Finn on the arm, clearly grousing at him.

When they get to their bunk, Poe heads to his bed, intending to get his clothes and go to the fresher to change and give Rey some privacy to do the same in the bunk. As he digs in his pack, though, he hears the door shut behind them. He turns in surprise, looking at Rey. She kicks at a non-existent speck on the floor, blushing lightly and hoping that he doesn't feel uncomfortable when she says, "I can just turn my back if you do the same."

He swallows hard, but he nods. Despite what happened earlier, he wonders if she still doesn't quite understand the effect she has on him, but he decides he can trust himself. He turns back to his bag, looking down at his pants. He realizes that the ones he has on are probably the best for blending in with the terrain. He hears the soft sound of fabric hitting the floor near her bed, and he has to stop and grip the edge of his bed for a moment.

When he hears more fabric moving, he prays that it's her getting re-dressed, because his brain is already in overdrive as he does his best to not try to picture naked Rey. He finds the shirt he wants in his bag, and he pulls his soft pullover shirt off, leaving him in just his pants and boots. A soft gasp makes him turn slightly, and he sees Rey staring at him wide-eyed. He lifts an eyebrow at her over his shoulder. "And I thought was the one who'd get caught looking," he teases her gently.

Before he can say anything else, she closes the distance between them, her hands reaching out hesitantly, and he nods, giving her permission. He's honestly not sure what she wants to do, but he's fairly sure he'll enjoy it, whatever it is. When her hands touch his skin, fingertips delicately tracing the muscles of his back, he has to stifle a soft groan.

Her fingers slide towards his side, and he twitches when her touch tickles him inadvertently. He turns, gently capturing her wrists. Then, his own eyes widen. When he'd looked at her before, he'd kept his eyes on her face. Now, his eyes scan down her body. She's in a tight, body-hugging pair of her short-legged pants and a breast band – and nothing else. "Hells, Rey. Are you trying to kill me?"

Rey had been so busy letting her eyes rake over his bare upper body that she'd forgotten that she's nearly half-naked herself. She can't bring herself to be too self-conscious, though, as she takes advantage of his surprise and frees her wrists. Her left hand goes flat on his chest, and her right reaches for a ring that he has on a chain around his neck. She carefully takes the ring between two fingers, leaning in to examine it. "This is beautiful. Was it –"

Poe draws in a breath at the puff of warm air that her words send across his chest. "My mom's wedding ring," he explains softly. She's making him crazy, but he really doesn't want to pull back. He tries, though. "Rey, sweetheart, I really need you to step back, or I'm not going to be able to keep my hands to myself."

"You don't have to." Her gaze locks with his, wide-eyed again. She drops the ring, her right hand joining her left on his chest. She leans up slightly, and a moment later, she presses her lips to his.

His brain is screaming at him like a cockpit alarm telling him to pull up and pull up now, but his body isn't paying attention to his brain at all. Her hands slide up his chest, her arms snaking around his neck as she pulls him in close, pressing her body to his. When she's the one to deepen the kiss this time, her tongue tracing his lips seeking entrance, he's just done.

As the kiss intensifies, their tongues tangling, his hands land on her narrow waist, sliding upwards so his thumbs can brush the undersides of her breasts, slipping under the breast band. She gasps and pulls even closer, and he finds himself suddenly acting on pure instinct. His hands move back down her sides and eventually over her hips and down to her upper thighs.

She follows him, keeping their mouths fused tight together, not sure what he's doing. She figures it out a moment later when his hands grip the backs of her legs as he lifts her. Her legs part, and she wraps them tight around his waist, ankles crossing low behind him. He moves them, and her back is once again against a hard surface, this time against the door to their bunk. She gasps again, finally breaking the kiss, one hand in his hair and the other gripping his shoulder tight.

He presses a trail of hot, wet kisses down her neck, and she whimpers softly at the feel of him sucking and gently nipping at her skin, his brain telling him not to mark her. She lets her head fall back against the door as she thinks, "So, this is what all the fuss is about."

One of his hands supports her backside against the door, but the other moves up, cushioning her back from the hard metal. He lifts his head a moment later, and she meets him, their lips crashing together again as he tightens his hand on her backside. A moment later, a loud noise out in the common room makes them pull back slightly and freeze, their eyes opening in panic.

The sound doesn't repeat, and Poe can hear it when whoever was out there walks back out of the common area. He relaxes and gently lowers Rey towards the floor. She catches on quickly, unhooking her ankles and sagging back against his arm, pinning it between her and the door as she gets her feet back under her. She's slumped slightly and has to look up to meet his gaze. After they stare at each other for a moment, he softly says, "All right, you started it that time."

She huffs out a laugh at that, reaching up and trying to straighten his hair. The unruly waves tend to flop where they want to, so it's more like she just tries to sort it back into its usual vaguely controlled mess. Wryly, she observes, "Looks like we can't be trusted to be left alone together."

"So it would seem," he agrees with a smile, "And we need to finish getting dressed now, sweetheart."

She reluctantly agrees, going back to her bed with a sigh. He follows, a little concerned about the change in mood he feels from her, going to something almost melancholy. Stopping behind her, he puts his hands on her upper arms. "Rey? What's wrong?"

She turns and looks up at him again. "It's always going to be something, isn't it? We'll always be rushing off to fight some battle or another, won't we?"

He sighs. "For now. But we'll win this, Rey. I know we will. And when we do, we can do whatever we want. I'll take you back to Yavin with me if you want. You can train by the Force tree, or we can just explore. We can do whatever we want one day."

"You'd take me to Yavin with you? I could maybe have a home?"

Her eyes are wide and hopeful, and it stirs something fiercely protective inside him. He hugs her to him, and her arms wrap around his waist. "If you want one, Rey. Wherever I am, you'll have one. And for the record, my dad's going to love you."

She leans away and looks at him. "You think so?"

He presses a kiss to her forehead. "I know so. Now we really need to get dressed. I have a feeling that Finn will be trying to take the door down any moment."

They release each other, and he goes back to his bed to grab the shirt he was going to put on a moment ago. Rey pulls her sand-colored tunic over her head and picks up her belt. She turns to watch him shrug into his shirt, and she says, "Why would Finn try to take down the door?"

Poe snorts. "Rey, sweetheart, I'll probably be getting the big brother speech the moment we leave this room."

"What is the big brother speech?" She looks truly puzzled.

He finishes getting his shirt on and straps an extra blaster holster to his left thigh, digging into his pack to grab the second, smaller one that he carries for things like this. He slips it into the holster and looks up to watch her put on her arm wraps, making a mental note to learn to help her do that. He shrugs. "Basically, the 'you hurt her and I'll kick your ass' speech, one often delivered by the woman in question's older male sibling."

"Oh," she says, nodding, "That's kind of sweet."

He arches an eyebrow at her. "Sweet that Finn will threaten to kick my ass?"

She's horrified until she realizes that he's teasing her. She finishes her second arm wrap, and, after securing her blaster and the new/old lightsaber, she comes over to him. "Not nice, Flyboy."

He chuckles. "Hey, you're the one who said it was sweet that Finn might threaten to kick my ass. And I thought you didn't like that he's over-protective."

She shuffles her feet a little. "Just never had anyone look out for me like that, you know?"

"I do know, Rey." He puts his hands on her shoulders. "I was just teasing, I promise." He notices that her hair is falling out of its braid, the simpler style that she's taken to wearing around base. "Do you want me to fix your braid for you?"

She furrows her brow. "You know how to do that?"

He shrugs. "Mom taught me to help her with hers when I was about six."

Pulling out her comb, handing it to him, and turning around, she says, "All right."

As he works, first pulling out the old braid, combing through the tangles, and then starting to re-braid it, he softly comments, "Your hair is finer than hers was. Try to picture my hair, but really long. It was a mess. Dad helped her with it too." After a beat, he says, "If Finn or Lando see me doing this, I'm never going to live it down."

"But Rose will think it's wonderful and adorable," she counters.

"True. And I think Rose might be able to protect me from Finn, so there's a bonus."

Rey giggles at that, a young sound that makes Poe feel equal parts enamored and like a dirty old man. Then, as if on cue, there's a banging on the door before it swings open. BB-8 rolls in, bumping against Rey's legs and beeping excitedly, and Rose follows, her eyes widening at the sight of Poe braiding Rey's hair for her.

Rose grins. "Oh my. That's the sweetest thing I've ever seen."

Poe shakes his head as Rey laughs. "Not a word to anyone, Tico," Poe tries and fails at giving her a stern look.

"Secret's safe with me, Commander." She grins again. "Now if you two are done with whatever it was that you were doing in here, R2, Finn, and Lando are waiting outside the shuttle for us to come up with a plan."

Poe motions to Rey to follow Rose and BB-8, and he goes with her, shaking his head, hand on Rey's lower back. As they walk, Rey shyly asks, "So, to be continued, Flyboy?"

Huffing out a surprised breath, Poe agrees, "To be continued, but Rey, only at your pace."

"I know, Poe. And I trust you." She looks slightly nervous but confident at the same time.

He pauses and leans in to press a kiss to her temple. "That's means a lot, sweetheart. Thank you." As they get to the ramp, he smirks when he sees Finn waiting, looking at him suspiciously. Ignoring the look, Poe says to the whole group, "Now, who's ready to get those X-Wings?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Sorry for the slow update, but it's extra long to make up for it. This one is drawing to a close, so I'll be finishing it and then turning back to my other WIPs shortly!**

 **Not Connections Series and not Pilots and Professors. Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.**

As Rey, Rose, Poe, and BB-8 exit the shuttle to join Finn and Lando, Finn gives them a funny look. Rey leans into Poe and notes, "I see what you mean. I've never seen him look so suspicious."

Poe snorts, but he thinks, "To hell with it," and takes her hand in his and draws their hands up to drop a kiss on the back of hers. He's not going to let their friend scare him off – he's not sure there's anything that could scare him off when it comes to her.

She grins up at him, squeezing his hand. "Brave man."

He shrugs and winks at her. "Or maybe just crazy. But you're worth it."

She blushes lightly at that, and she leans her head slightly on his shoulder as they walk. She honestly doesn't know how to respond. No one in her life has ever been so open with their feelings, not the way Poe is. He is so comfortable in his skin, in who he is, and it's a little intimidating to her. She also just hopes she can live up to his admiration of her, to his belief in her.

Going from having no one give a damn about her for nineteen years to suddenly having so many people care is a little overwhelming. Poe must sense her slight unease, because he says, "You all right?"

She nods. "Yes." She hesitates for a moment before adding, "I'm just not used to having people notice me, much less believe in me or want me around." She shrugs a little, as if trying to play it off.

They're not to Lando and Finn yet, so Poe stops them for a moment. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I didn't mean to – " He feels a little ill. He never wants to be the one to make her feel uneasy, even if it's just by telling her how he feels. He wants things to be about her, too. He knows that precious little in her world has been about her.

"Stop, Poe." She leans in, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Please never apologize for caring about me and for telling me that you do. I'm just not used to it. That doesn't mean I don't want to hear it, all right? And you're worth it, too. Worth getting used to it for and worth so much more, you know?"

He gives her a soft smile, cupping her cheek in his palm. Conscious of their audience, he just leans up and presses a kiss to her forehead. When he moves back, he catches her eye. He has his back to Finn, Lando, and Rose, so he can't see their reactions. "How are the spectators faring?"

She snorts and glances over his shoulder. "Lando is trying to smirk, but his smile is going real no matter how hard he tries. Rose is grinning like a fool. Finn looks somewhere between irked and happy. Hard to tell."

He chuckles. "That all sounds as expected."

"I don't know. Lando seems like a bit of a player." She gives him a dubious look.

Poe nods. "Oh, he's definitely more than just a bit of a player. But he's a softie at heart, I promise." Poe's expression softens. "And I know he's likely pretty busted up about Han. They acted like they irritated each other, but they had a pretty longstanding respect for each other. Chewie's going to be awfully glad to see him. Leia will be, too."

Rey is about to reply when Lando calls, "You two going to join us any time soon?"

Poe chuckles and turns, moving his hand to Rey's back as they continue to walk to the others. "Sorry about that," Poe says as they arrive, his tone making it clear that he's not particularly all that sorry.

Finn's eyes narrow, and Poe meets his gaze head on. He cares very much about his friend, but he won't be intimidated by him, especially when he has no intention of ever hurting Rey. After a moment, Poe decides to throw down the gauntlet, so to speak. "Something to say, Finn?" His tone is mostly neutral, but he knows there's an edge to it – a challenge.

Part of Rey wants to intervene, but the other part of her is rather warmed by how Poe is trying to somewhat gently make it clear to Finn that this is none of his business. She knows that Finn cares about her, but she is equally certain that Poe is a good man and won't do anything to hurt her. She's actually mildly irritated with Finn. He's Poe's friend as much as he is hers, and it bothers her that Finn once again thinks that she needs protecting.

She blinks at that realization. It only just occurred to her that Finn truly seems to think that she is so breakable that she has to be treated like she's made of glass, apparently both physically and emotionally. The part of her that wants to intervene wins out. She stands up straighter and turns to Poe. "Flyboy, can you, Lando, and Rose start on a plan? I need to have a quick talk with Finn."

She holds eye contact with Poe for a moment. He looks worried, but then he gives her a small nod. He knows that her addressing this with Finn will be more resonant than him trying to address it. He leans in and whispers in her ear, "All right, sweetheart, but do this for you, not for me, you know?"

With a nod and a soft smile, she turns to Finn. Her face loses all of its softness, and she levels a look at him. "You, with me, now."

She turns on her heel, heading away from Rose, Lando, and Poe, and she can tell that Finn follows her. She gets to a rocky outcropping and moves beyond it, keeping them close enough to Poe and the others to call for help if they need it, but out of view. Close behind her, Finn sounds exasperated when he protests, "Rey, we need to help with the plan."

She spins so fast that he nearly runs into him, and she pokes a finger into his chest, her expression stormy. "What the hell is going on with you, Finn?" At his wide-eyed surprise, Rey goes on, "You were literally my first real friend, Finn, and Poe was really yours. Do you just not trust either of us?"

Finn blinks. "Of course I trust you both!"

"Then act like it!" She growls the words at him. "Stop looking at Poe like he's some sort of criminal, and stop treating me like I don't know how to take care of myself. I need to be challenged! I need to be pushed. Poe isn't hurting me when we spar, he's making me better, making me stronger. All you're doing is making me wonder why you don't think I'm capable of looking after myself."

She's suddenly hit by a wave of sadness and disappointment. She wraps her arms around herself. "I'm tired of people not believing in me, Finn, and I never thought it would be you who acted that way."

Over talking to Lando and Rose, Poe picks up on the emotions from Rey, and he looks up sharply. He curls his hands into fists, making himself stay put. Lando and Rose both notice, and it's Lando who says, "What's wrong, kid?"

Poe takes a deep breath. "Nothing. It's nothing, Lando."

Rose furrows her brow. "I don't believe that."

"Me neither." Lando shakes his head. "Spill, kid."

With a sigh, Poe explains, "I can feel what she's feeling, at least when it's strong emotion." Before Rose can ask, he says, "She's upset, Rose. She's disappointed by how Finn has been treating her – that's at least part of it."

"Kriff. I told him to cut it out, Poe. I warned him that he was going to make one or both of you mad." Rose shoots Poe an apologetic look. "He means well, you know?"

"I do know that, Rose, but I've told him and so have you. He has to figure this out – to understand that he's hurting her by trying so hard to make sure she doesn't get hurt." He rakes a hand through his hair.

Back behind the rocks, if his expression is anything to go by, and from the fleeting emotion that Rey catches, Finn is aghast. "Rey, I do believe in you, and I do trust both you and Poe!"

He looks contrite, but Rey finds herself suddenly angry, repeating herself from before. "Then show us that, Finn! You and Han and Chewie treated me like I was someone. You were the absolute first person to ever even take my hand. I need you in my life, and I need you as my friend. But I also need you to show me that you trust me to know what I can and can't handle."

She pokes him in the chest again. "I can kick your ass, Finn. And when I don't, I learn from it. I need to work. I need to practice. Poe is getting better every time we spar. He anticipates me. I need you, too. You are bigger and stronger. I need a different challenge. But you have to get over all of this and help me! I am going to have to face Kylo again – I know that. I need to be fast and agile, even more so than I am now. I can't get much better just facing Poe. He's too good at reading me."

Finn suddenly looks thoughtful at that. "You're serious about him, aren't you? He's someone," Finn pauses, cocking his head, "Important to you."

"Yes," she responds quietly. "I think so. I've never really had anyone in my life that I cared about like I care about him. Poe pointed out earlier that you're like my big brother. I think that's right."

"But who is he to you?"

Rey looks closely at Finn, seeking disapproval or judgment in his gaze. She only finds curiosity. "I'm not sure yet. But it feels like – " She pauses briefly, reaching for the right way to explain it. "It feels like I'm flying and like home all at once. I think that's what he is. He's home." She looks down and kicks at the rocks on the ground. "He said he'd take me to Yavin when we win. He thinks his dad will like me. I think I could find a real home with him."

This time, she reads Finn easily, but she doesn't really need to. He engulfs her in a hug. "I'm sorry for acting suspicious of him, Rey. I don't know what I thought, but I do know it probably wasn't fair, whatever it was."

She wraps her arms around him in response, relief rippling through her. She needs Finn and Poe both, in entirely different ways. Finn is a rock, a friend she never thought she'd find. Poe is everything else, everything free and brave and trusting and strong.

Finn steps back. "Do you think maybe," he pauses, hesitating. At her nod encouraging him to go on, he asks, "Maybe me and Rose could go to Yavin, too, you know, if she wants to? I don't have a home, and I'm pretty damned sure she doesn't want to go back to Hays Minor. It would be nice to have a home."

"If you'd stop glaring at him, I think Poe would love that." She lifts an eyebrow at him. "I would too, but again, only if you stop looking at him like he's a criminal of some sort." Finn looks embarrassed at that, but before he can say anything, she holds up a hand. "Apologize to Poe, Finn. Not to me. And just so you know, he's the one who keeps slowing us down, not me."

She turns on her heel and heads back around the rocks. She's barely around them when she runs into Poe. He's clearly waiting for her, the concerned look on his face giving him away along with the concern he's projecting. She'd been so wrapped up in dealing with Finn that she hadn't noticed it.

He hugs her to him, and she goes willingly. Softly, he asks, "You all right? I could feel it when you got upset."

She nestles into him for a moment before leaning back and brushing her lips to his. "I'm fine. Just had to get some things clarified for Finn."

Poe nods and releases her. He looks up a moment later when he hears Finn clear his throat. Poe tenses slightly, tired of being glared at by his friend. Clearly noticing Poe's reaction, Finn sighs. "I'm sorry, Poe. I've been a real nerf herder." Poe lifts an eyebrow, and Finn rolls his eyes. "Kriff, did you teach her that eyebrow thing? It had to be you. You even did it the day we met."

Poe relaxes, and he laughs. "Likely guilty. My dad does it, too. So, it's really his fault."

Lando snorts. "When I see Kes again, I'm telling him that you sold him out."

With a shrug, Poe grins. "He'll be so happy to see me, I'll likely be forgiven just about anything."

Shaking his head, Lando says, "Can we make a plan now?" Over the next half hour, they run scans of the terrain and get a download of the situation near the X-Wings from Lando.

Poe considers the information from Lando – about ten smugglers, two small ships, only one that is armed. He turns to Rey and Finn. "We have to figure out how to do this and get the droids close enough."

Rey cocks her head. "Can we fly the X-Wings out and pick up the droids?"

"No," Poe shakes his head, "Maybe in a T-65 I'd say yes, but Rey, I told you about all the electronic upgrades in the standard T-70s. I can do it. You probably can't." Her eyes narrow, but he stands his ground. "It's not up for debate. You've never even sat in one, Rey. They are complex. You need BB-8. R2 is more used to the T-65s. I'd always planned to have him come with me if possible."

Before Poe can explain what he meant by "if possible," BB-8 lets loose a series of beeps, and he gently bumps Rey's leg. Finn gives Poe a questioning look, and Poe translates. "Loosely, he said 'yes, Friend Rey, let me help you.'" He looks at Rey. "He's pretty fond of you, sweetheart." A thought occurs to him. "Actually, let's just have BB-8 with us. R2 can wait on the shuttle."

Sitting nearby, R2 emits an irritated wail. Poe goes over to the older astromech. "R2, I know you want to help. Help Rose in the shuttle, all right? I'm not even sure how well you'll fit in the T-70, and I know you're not familiar with it."

"Poe, a word?" He looks up to see Rey glaring at him.

He continues to stand his ground with her, and he's irked that she seems to be challenging him again. "In a minute. Rose, you'll drop us off and land close by, out of sight. Finn, can you use the large rifle we have to disable their shuttles and then provide sniper cover?"

Finn nods, and Poe goes on, "All right. Go gear up. Rey and I can get past the smugglers on the ground. I want you to stay in whatever nest we are able to set for you, Finn, so you can fall back and meet with Rose when we get to the fighters. Lando, can you distract the smugglers, get them to come out of their cave?"

"I'm an excellent distraction, kid. I'll do a hover-over, draw their attention. And you'll need them out – you need to get past their cave clean to get to the one where the X-Wings are, and I think you'll have to go almost straight up with the fighters. It'll probably be fun for you." Lando grins.

Poe returns it faintly, feeling irritation crackling off of Rey. "Lando, important question – are these smugglers neutral or friendly, or are they friends of the First Order?"

Rey and Finn both shoot Poe a funny look, but Lando and Rose seem to catch on quickly. Lando scowls. "First Order collaborators."

"You're sure?" Poe wants to be certain.

"I am, kid. I know those guys. I've watched them destroy homes and even small villages to cover their tracks or get what they want, and they do it with First Order gear." Lando's scowl darkens further. "I know what you're asking, and I'm saying yes. Shoot to kill." Finn and Rey both draw in a small breath, but Rose nods.

Poe returns her nod gratefully. "Finn, gear up. Clothes that will blend in, the big rifle, extra blasters." He turns to Rey. "Now we can have that word."

Rey has been stewing a little over his requirement that she have an astromech but that he doesn't need one. It was cracked a little when he took the lead on the actual plan logistics, and a level of truth hit her at his exchange with Lando. She's killed before – Snoke's guards, the TIE Fighter pilots on Crait – but it was never exactly planned. It occurs to her that this is what war is, and it's a dose of reality that hits her like ice-cold water thrown in her face. She'd let her pride get in the way of good sense. She knows that she'll likely need help with the T-70, and she knows, at least according to Finn, that Poe can fly one like it's a damned extension of his body.

Rose, Finn, and BB-8 board the shuttle, and Lando heads back to the cruiser. Poe turns to Rey. Before he can say anything, she says, "I'm sorry. It hurt my feelings that you questioned my ability to fly in front of the others, and that was childish. I know it was about us being safe and getting away clean."

He sighs. "Rey, I know how capable you are. I know how good you are. And speaking of that, as much as I love watching you with that lightsaber, maybe use it only minimally, if it's truly necessary."

She looks puzzled, but then it's like a light goes on. "You think reports of a woman with a lightsaber will get back to Kylo."

He nods tightly. "And he'd probably come here and tear apart what few settlements there are on this shithole of a planet."

"All right." She steps closer to him, putting her hands on his shoulders and pressing her forehead to his. He reaches for her, his hands settling on her waist. She softly says, "Thank you for letting me borrow BB-8."

"Don't get used to it," he smirks, "But we'll get you an astromech of your own."

She giggles. "Understood."

He reaches up and takes her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Now let's go get some X-Wings, sweetheart."

"Lead the way, Commander." She grins, letting him pull her into the ship.

He laughs and goes quiet as he walks. An idea comes to him, and he gives Rey one of his lifted-eyebrow looks. "Want to get some grenades? Maybe we can blow some stuff up."

She grins even wider, and her brain shouts at her that this is a great flirting opportunity. A response comes to her, and she puts on what she hopes is a flirty expression. "Nice to know that you really know how to show a girl a good time, Flyboy."

She knows she was successful when he returns her grin. Then, it's her turn to laugh when he replies, "You're getting good at the flirting thing, Jedi-in-Training, and good to hear that your definition of a good time is just as weird as mine." He winks at her, and they board the shuttle. Before they leave, Poe and Rey go quickly over to the cruiser to check out the landing bay – just in case, he wants to know how large the space is and what his parameters are.

Less than half an hour later, Rose is hovering at the base of the foothills, and the ramp of their small shuttle opens slowly. Poe, Rey, Finn, and BB-8 descend the ramp, the three humans jumping off and then Finn and Poe turning to help BB-8 down. Rose closes the ramp behind them, and then she skims a short distance away to wait for Finn to call her to pick him up.

Quietly and carefully, Poe in the lead and Rey at their back, the four of them make it up the rise, Finn lifting BB-8 when the little droid can't navigate easily. As they climb, it occurs to Poe that this is a lot of effort for a couple of fighters, but he knows that they need every asset they can scratch together. He hopes like hell that things start to get a little easier soon.

Poe has his blaster out, but he doesn't want to use it yet, as he knows it will alert the smugglers. He really hopes they don't have any patrols out. A moment later, he rolls his eyes, luck showing that it's not anywhere to be found today when he hears the sounds of feet on the path. He holds up his left hand, signaling the others to stop as he silently holsters his blaster. They stop, and a quick glance back confirms to him that they've gone low and mostly out of sight.

Hoping that what he's about to do won't scare the hell out of both Rey and Finn, he pulls a large knife from his boot, one he grabbed when Finn was gearing up. Training from both his dad, a former Pathfinder in the Rebellion, and from the Academy kicks in, and, without a sound, he moves forward quickly.

Rey holds her breath as she watches Poe move. In a day full of revelations, this may be the most fascinating one to her. She just thinks of Poe as a leader and a pilot – she forgets sometimes that he's been training for nearly half his life – but she shouldn't be surprised, not given how well he can fight with her. She's also fascinated that his emotions have gone almost completely silent and closed off. A moment later, she knows why.

A heavily armed man, clearly one of the smugglers, comes over the top of the rise. The weapons he carries are clearly First Order, something confirmed to her by how Finn tenses up. The smuggler looks lazy, not on edge at all. That's a mistake. Poe is on him in seconds, and a moment later, the man is dead on the ground, Poe wiping the knife off on the man's own dark pants.

Poe shudders internally. He doesn't like killing. He doesn't like it in an X-Wing, and he likes it even less up close and personal. He thinks to himself that if the day ever comes that he does like it, he's going to be damned worried about himself. He doesn't feel more than a twinge of remorse, though, and that is almost entirely extinguished when he sees that the man has a tattoo of the First Order insignia on his arm.

He turns back to Rey, Finn, and BB-8, motioning them to come over. He and Finn conceal the body behind some bushes, and then they all approach a small overhang. From it, Poe can tell that it's a near-perfect sniper's nest. They have a clear view of the caves, and they can see several smugglers outside of the mouth of a large one. Poe nearly gags when he realizes that they're cooking a womp rat. The stench is strong, and even Rey, who is decidedly not choosy about food, looks a little green.

With BB-8 tucked in behind them, they survey the area. After a moment, Poe points down to a mostly-concealed path that will get them close to the cave. Finn and Rey both nod, and Rey and Poe move backwards. As they do, Poe squeezes Finn's shoulder, and Finn gives him a quick nod as he preps his rifle. The two shuttles are also clearly visible, and Poe can see that Finn is already sighting the one that appears to be armed.

He and Rey move down the path, staying low, with BB-8 moving along behind them. When they get close to the bottom of the path, Poe motions to BB-8 to go behind a large rock. The little droid obeys, moving out of sight. Once he and Rey position themselves at the end of path, Poe reaches for his comm, sending a pattern of clicks to Lando, a signal they set up ahead of time.

They both then pull down protective masks over their eyes, designed to let them see even in a swirl of dust and debris. Rey sighs, thinking that one of these would have been very handy during her years on Jakku.

Under a minute later, they hear a roar overhead. The cruiser may be small, but it's still a cruiser. It kicks up a billowing cloud of sand and dirt. The smugglers begin shouting, firing blindly up at the shielded ship. With all the noise and distraction, Finn comms them, saying he needs to go for the shuttles, but he's also taken out some of the smugglers under the cover over their own blasters.

Poe looks at Rey, and she grins. "I can take the ones shooting, Flyboy, and you blow the cave?"

Rey phrases it as a question, which he appreciates. He nods and they move forward as a unit. Finn has already taken down two of the smugglers, but three are still standing and firing, some now at Finn's perch, and four more bolt into the cave. The tenth is dead, the man up on the ridge. Poe just hopes that Lando had the count right.

He and Rey both sprint into the open area, Rey firing quickly with her blaster. Finn blasts the comms array on one shuttle, then the propulsion system. Moments later, another blast comes up when Poe lobs three grenades, all live, into the mouth of the cave. He hits the comm, yelling, "Take cover!"

He sees Rey slide behind an outcropping, still firing her blaster. As the cave goes up, Finn fires on the armed shuttle, and in one shot, he blows the whole damned thing with a hit to a large missile system. A yell makes Poe spin, and he sees Rey pinned down by the two remaining smugglers. He draws his blaster and drops one of them, and Rey can then step out and take down the other. She holsters her blaster, and she's walking towards Poe when two more pop out from behind a rock.

Poe yells, "Rey, behind you!" He fires on one, hitting him in the head and knocking him back, but the other is pointing a blaster at Rey, yelling at Rey and Poe to put their weapons down.

They both drop their blasters, but the man glances at Poe, turning his blaster towards him, and Rey mutters, "Kriff it." She grabs the saber from her belt, and she activates it as she lunges forward. The blue blade surges to life, and a moment later, the last smuggler is dead with a smoking hole in his head.

After they wait another moment to see if any more pop up, Poe slaps his comm. "There were twelve, Lando. Twelve. Not ten."

Rey has to smirk at both Poe's irritated tone and at Lando's answering chuckle. Then, Lando grows more serious. "Kid, I'm picking up some chatter from Mos Eisley. We've been noticed. Time to get the birds and get the hell out of here."

Poe agrees. "Finn, go meet Rose. Now."

The cruiser also lifts upward, the wind and debris dying back quickly. Rey and Poe, him calling to BB-8, sprint in the direction that Lando gave them for the cave where the X-Wings are stored. Lando's directions turn out to be far more accurate than his smuggler count, and they find the small cave entrance easily. Poe notes to himself that he'd love to know who landed the X-Wings in here. It can't have been easy.

That assessment changes a moment later. He can see a large entrance that has been collapsed. If that was open when the crafts were left here for Lando, it would've been about the same as landing in a cruiser. His breath catches as he skids into a large open space with Rey close behind him.

He grins at the sight that greets them, two pristine, clearly new T-70s sit here like they're just waiting for pilots. His very practiced eye can see a few extra mods on one of them, so he heads for that one. He wants it to be as simple for Rey as possible. BB-8 follows Rey to the other one. Rey and Poe both look up. There is a large opening in the cave, well above them and to the right. They won't have to lift straight out all the way, but it still won't be simple.

Poe opens the canopy on his X-Wing, running the start-up sequence that BB-8 usually runs for him. As he does it, he comms Rey. "Sweetheart, there's a switch to load BB-8."

"I found it – he's starting her up." Rey peers around the small cockpit as she closes her canopy. Poe was right. This is complicated, more so than the T-65 or the Falcon.

"Good. You're out first, Rey." He hears her start to comm him back, but he says, "No arguments on that, sweetheart. You first. I'm not leaving until you're clear and on your way to the cruiser."

In her X-Wing, Rey scowls, but she also understands. She thinks about some of the chatter she's heard from him and C'ai before, and she pushes herself to smile instead. "Copy that, Black Leader."

He snorts. "Cute, Black Two." He then comms Lando. "Lando, any new friends en route?"

"Affirmative kid. Two small ships, definitely armed, heading your way. Rose just picked up Finn, and they're heading to me. I'm about to break the atmosphere. You kids need to get the hell out of there. You have five minutes at the outside."

"Copy that, Lando. Rey, are you ready?" His ship is ready to take off, but he wants her clear first. As if in answer, he sees her lift upwards. She carefully maneuvers the small fighter upwards, and then she moves it forward. "You're doing great, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Flyboy. You'll be right behind me?" She sounds worried about him, and it's just one more thing that he appreciates about her.

"I will." He lets out a light breath when he sees her clear the cave.

A moment later, her voice comes to him. "I'm out, Poe, following Lando, but those two ships are closing in. I can stay – "

"No. Go, Rey. That's an order." In maybe a third of the time it took Rey, he has his X-Wing moving. He's up and out in seconds. It's tight, but honestly not that much of a challenge for him. The challenge, instead, is in the two small ships bearing down on him. "Damn it to karking hell," he mutters.

He hears Rey over the comms, but he ignores her for now, going weapons-hot. He slams his controls forward, racing head on to meet the two ships. One makes the mistake of firing on him. He screams past the two ships, wings in attack position. The shots from the ship aren't even close, but he hits the brakes and turns hard, reversing direction and coming up behind the two ships.

In two shots, both of the small ships lose engines, and they both go down. Over the comm, he hears Rey's voice. "Kriff, Poe, you have to teach me how to turn like that."

She's way ahead of him, and as he breaks out of the atmosphere, he breathes out a sigh of relief when he sees her fly into the cruiser. Lando calls a moment later. "Kid, she's in, but you need to catch up. I have a large ship bearing down on my position."

"Copy, Lando. Can you have her ready to jump the moment I'm in?" Poe checks the small ship over, confirming that it's good. It's something BB-8 would usually do for him, but everything seems functional.

Lando cackles. "It'll be just like back in the day with your mom!"

Even though the words make a lump form in Poe's throat, he has to smile. It's nice to be around someone else who knew her. He's heard all of Leia's stories about his mom; maybe Lando has a few new ones. As he streaks towards the small cruiser, Poe can see another cruiser heading their way. It might be First Order, or it might just be pirates. Either way, he wants them to get the hell out of here. He'd tell Lando to jump and let Poe just follow, but without BB-8 and in a new ship, he doesn't want to risk taking the X-Wing to lightspeed.

He throttles up, going even faster. It's just like the D'Qar evac, but he tries not to dwell on that. He only slows up a bit when he gets dangerously close to the cruiser. He's glad he'd checked out the size of the bay earlier. Mirroring his move at D'Qar, he yells, "Now, Lando!" over the comms as he clears the bay threshold. It's weird to feel the lightspeed jump from inside of his X-Wing, a softer jolt than in a small ship.

Seeing that the area is clear, he sets his X-Wing down next to Rey's, settling gently. He's going through the shutdown sequence when he hears beeps outside, and he peers out to see BB-8 roll up. Flipping a switch, BB-8 is loaded up into his X-Wing a moment later, and Poe says, "Thanks, Buddy. I missed you," as the little astromech takes over the shutdown, replying with what Poe thinks of as a series of happy beeps.

Letting BB-8 finish up, Poe opens his canopy just as Rey and Finn roll a platform ladder up. Poe climbs out at the same time that Rey shoots up the stairs, meeting him on the platform. Before he can say anything, Rey throws herself at him, sealing her lips to his, hands diving into his hair. She'd wanted to tell him how amazing his flying was, how worried she was until she saw him in action, but the moment she saw him, the idea of anything but just kissing him went straight out the window.

He recovers in seconds, deepening the kiss and wrapping his arms around her. As they, for lack of a better way to describe it, make out on the platform, Poe can hear the voices of their friends, and judging by how Rey smiles slightly against his lips, she does too. They both ignore them, though, as Rose squeals happily, Lando makes a comment that could make just about anyone blush, and, over both of the others, Finn yelling, "Oh come on!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Sorry for the slow update, but real life is a busy whirl these days! I've been more able to manage reading than writing (gone on a bit of a bent of reading AU Cassian/Jyn stories – so who knows what I'll come up with there). This is it for this one - turning back to my other WIPs shortly!**

 **This wanders close to being "Mature," but I'm staying with "Teen." Gets a little frisky, though.**

 **Not Connections Series and not Pilots and Professors. Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.**

An hour later, Rey is still glued to Poe's side, her hand held tight in his. They'd stayed on the platform ladder for a while after their heated kissing had broken apart, just standing there with their hands joined and their foreheads pressed together. He'd hesitantly asked her if what happened with the first smuggler, the one he'd killed on the ridge, had bothered her. To his relief, she'd promised him that it hadn't, hugging him close as if to prove it.

When they'd finally come down, Finn was waiting. After reminding Rey that he'd told her he didn't want to have to watch them making out, he'd asked Poe why a pilot could neutralize a target the way Poe had. He'd responded quietly that sometimes pilots get shot down. Then he'd noted that his dad, former Special Forces ground troops, a Pathfinder, had given him one condition for letting him go to the Academy for flight school: Poe had to prove first that he could protect himself.

It hadn't been lost on Rey that Poe had gripped his mother's ring tight in his hand when he said that. That was when she'd tucked herself into his side. Lando probably noticed, too, if the squeeze he'd given Poe's shoulder as he returned to the cruiser's cockpit had been any indication. She can also tell that Poe is on an adrenaline crash. She is too, to some extent, but she senses it acutely in Poe – she's never felt him so out of sorts before.

They're taking a slow road home – they don't think that the cruiser back at Tatooine had been First Order, but just in case, it seems wise to make multiple jumps back to the current base. After the first one that resulted in no one following, Lando had shoo'ed them all off of the bridge. He said that he'll let them know when he needs help, but Rose and Finn insisted on staying with him, at least for the time being. BB-8 stayed with R2, in a charging area for droids.

Rey and Poe let themselves be dismissed. Poe readily admitted that he's worn out, and Rey nodded in agreement. Without discussing it, they'd gone and collected their things from the shuttle and found a medium-sized room on the deck with the crew quarters. It's probably meant for married officers, as it has a private refresher and a slightly larger bed than the pairs of single bunks that are in all but about five rooms, clearly the leadership space on the ship.

Before they settle into their room, they go grab a snack in the kitchen area, along with a bottle of water. Rey muses briefly, wondering how Lando got this ship, which is clearly kitted out with linens, towels, and food, but then she decides that she's all right with not knowing. As if reading her mind, Poe said, "I'd ask Lando where he got this ship, but I think ignorance may be bliss in this case."

Their ride back will be almost twice as long as the trip to Tatooine had been. Rey is all right with that. She is looking forward to some quiet time with Poe. After they'd left the bridge, Lando had comm'ed Rey privately, saying that they had twelve or thirteen standard hours to rest – it was said with a surprising lack of innuendo – it was instead laced liberally with concern. His last words over the comm had been, "Make him sleep, Rey. He needs to sleep. His dad would kick my ass if I didn't say something about how tired he looks."

Examining Poe as he threw his clothes back into his pack on the shuttle, she'd realized that Lando was right. Poe had looked fine when they landed on Tatooine, but it had been a long day, and a rather emotional one, too. She's tired as well, so she didn't fight Lando at all. She notices his second bag as they leave the shuttle, the one C'ai had given him before they left. When she asked, he explained that it was flight suits for both of them if they'd needed to pilot the X-Wings back. The fact that he'd thought of that for her makes her warm a little from the inside.

When they get to their room and put their things down, Rey tells Poe to take the fresher first, and she knows that he's hit a wall when he doesn't argue with her. She pulls out her clothes while he's in there, smiling warmly when she finds his scarf in her bag, burying her nose in the soft fabric and inhaling his scent again. She thinks to herself that he's never getting that scarf back.

He comes out of the fresher after a fairly short time, with wet hair, a towel around his shoulders, and dressed in his sleep clothes from the night before. He's towel-drying his hair when she drops a kiss on the corner of his mouth before going into the small attached space. It's warm in there from the quick shower he took.

Feeling gritty all over, she sheds her clothes and turns the hot water on, feeling terribly grateful that she can use a regular shower instead of a sonic. She sighs happily as she steps under the spray, but after a moment, her mind goes to Poe. She's worried about him – their kissing on the platform notwithstanding, he has been quiet since he landed on the cruiser. She washes up quickly, and in minutes, she has a towel wrapped around her hair while she slips on her sleep clothes. After cursorily drying her hair, she steps back into the room, comb in hand.

She's a little worried but not surprised to find Poe sitting up in the bed, back against the wall and legs pulled up. The lights in the room are off save for a small one over the bed. His arms rest loosely on his knees, and he looks lost in thought. She comes over to the bed, he doesn't even look up until she gets close and says, "Flyboy, are you all right?"

He sighs then, looking up at her and raking a hand through his still-damp hair. His breath catches a little at the sight of her, flushed pink from the shower. She's holding out her comb to him, and he takes it, watching as she drops onto the bed, sitting cross-legged with her back to him. He mirrors her position (his knees only slightly protesting), scooting up behind her to comb through her damp hair for her. She makes a happy sound, and he can see how relaxed she is. It's actually highly flattering to him that she trusts him enough to be so comfortable with her back to him like this.

He gently works through a few tangles, methodically pulling the comb through her long locks – it's grown a fair amount since he met her, going below her shoulders now. Something occurs to him that he wants to clear up. "Sweetheart, just so you know, my mom could take care of herself, too. I know you saw me grab her ring earlier. The reason it was important to Dad is that we did almost lose Mom that way when I was a baby. She'd been able to defend herself – she came back beat all to hell, though, and it scared the kriff out of Dad. She didn't die in a crash or a battle, though. It was something else."

He doesn't offer what it was, and she doesn't push. She's not sure what to make of his quiet about his mom, but she also knows that he'll likely tell her about it when and if he's ever ready. Despite the fact that his mom died before Rey was even born, she can sense that it's like an open wound in his soul. She just nods in response. "Thank you for telling me, Poe."

After that, they're silent for a while, but, still gently combing through her hair, he eventually says, "I know we didn't talk about it, and I'm feeling a little presumptuous, sweetheart. You don't have to share quarters with me if you don't want to."

She turns her head, looking shyly at him over her shoulder. "I want to. But if you want me to find another room, I can."

He shakes his head. "No. I don't. Not at all. I want you with me."

He'd been a little worried, but her answering smile is like the sun shining. She blushes a little and admits, "I'm not sure anyone has ever said that to me."

Setting the comb aside, he leans forward and wraps his arms around her. She responds by curling into his embrace and letting him pull her into his lap. He leans back against the wall. "Sweetheart, that just kills me. I'm really sorry."

"It's not your fault, Poe," she responds softly.

"I know, but it doesn't make me feel any better about it. No kid should have to grow up the way you did, or the way Finn did, for that matter. Hell, at least Rose had Paige." He sighs, brushing his lips across her temple.

"You lost your mom, though." She snuggles closer to him.

He closes his eyes. "That hurt like hell, Rey, but I had my dad, a home, more than enough food to eat, safety. I was never adrift, you know? I was never alone – I even had Leia, too. I wouldn't dare to compare our experiences. I have too much respect for you for that."

She nuzzles her face into his neck. "And that's another thing no one's ever said to me."

With that, he moves them so that she's on her back on the bed with him hovering over her, his weight on his forearms, his body caging hers. He looks at her with such wonder tinged with something infinitely warm that it's completely nonthreatening. "I just don't know how that's possible. I have you at a level with Leia and my dad, if that tells you anything."

He leans down, kissing her deeply but not pushing it to a place of heat. He wants her, but he also doesn't want this to go too fast. It's important to him that she be in the lead on where they go with this – he doesn't want to overwhelm her or pressure her, and he's afraid it might if he admits how he feels about her, what he wants with her.

When her hands begin to wander, he moves off of her, not wanting this to get out of control the way they almost had in their bunk on the shuttle. She makes an irritated noise when he does, but he just kisses her cheek and moves to his side, pulling her back flush to his front and reaching up to turn off the light.

Rey is confused, but she's trying her best to hide the emotion from Poe. She can tell that his feelings for her are strong, but she can't pinpoint what they are. Based on what happened after they sparred and again when they went into their bunk to change, she thought that he wanted her. But now, when they have time and privacy, he seems to have banked that desire back.

She can tell that he's still awake, and she somehow knows that he knows she's also still awake. She turns in his arms. After taking a few deep breaths and hoping he doesn't notice how her heart rate has gone up, she asks, "Poe, why did you pull back?" In the low light of the room, she can see him blink in surprise. When he doesn't say anything, she asks quietly, "Do you not want me?"

That snaps him out of his surprise. "Of course I want you, sweetheart. Force, Rey, I can't stop thinking about you most of the time. But I also don't want to rush this. I care too much about you to push you into things we're not ready for – I'm not willing to risk our relationship by pushing. If I let things go the way they did earlier, there won't be anything to stop us, but I want to let you be in control here."

She looks thoughtful for a moment, and in the quiet of that moment, she realizes that his heart rate is as high as hers. Hoping he can see her in the darkness, she arches an eyebrow at him. He blinks again, and she says, "Are you ready for it?"

He inhales sharply at the question. "Rey – " He begins to speak, but she wants to control this, just as he'd said.

Using surprise and maybe a tiny assist from the Force, she surges forward, tipping him over onto his back. She then moves over him, caging his body with hers as he had done to her just moments earlier. "Are you? Because I am. But if we are going to be ready, it has to be both of us ready, doesn't it?"

Poe looks up at her, speechless. He's not sure what he expected, but it wasn't this. She looks down at him, and he apparently stays silent for what is likely too long, as he sees uncertainty begin to creep into her expression. He isn't all right with that, and he is entirely ready. He reaches up with his hands and presses her shoulders back. Her face falls, but he isn't done. He sits up quickly, and her arms go around his neck as the new position presses their hips together.

"If you're ready, I sure as hell am too." Without another word, he crushes his lips to hers, his hands sliding down to her rear and gripping her tight, pulling her down as he tilts his hips up. She gasps softly at the hardness beneath her. He breaks the kiss, leaning back enough to see her face. "Are you sure, sweetheart? And wait, did you get a shot from the doc back at base?"

"I did. She said it was standard." He kisses her again, and when he leans back, she breathes out, "And I am definitely ready, but I don't know what to do." The last part is said softly, her eyes casting downward.

He slides his hands up her back, moving her shirt up as he does. She lets him pull it over her head, and he drops it on the floor next to the bed. She then does the same to him, pulling his shirt off and dropping it to the floor. After he takes a moment to memorize her body as if he'll never get to see it again, he leans forward, pressing his bare chest to hers. She gasps at the contact, and he drops his head, sucking gently at the pulse point on her neck.

She lets out a breathy, keening sound. Against her skin, he murmurs, "You just do what feels right, sweetheart. Don't be afraid to say whether you like something or not, and ask me if you aren't sure about something. And we can stop any time you want. Just say the word."

Nodding, she leans down, finding his lips with hers again. As she grinds down on his lap, gasping softy through their kiss, his last coherent thought for a while is to thank the Force for letting them find each other and for making him pay attention for once.

######

They don't emerge from their bunk for over thirteen hours. When they do, they're both wearing relatively stupid grins and are almost outlandishly relaxed. Rey also has his scarf back around her shoulders. At a minimum, Rose and Lando very clearly know what they've been up to on sight. The telltale bruises they both sport on their collarbones are another dead giveaway. Finn gives them a funny look, too, but Rose drags him away before he seems to sort it out.

They shoo Lando off to rest, thanking him for giving them so much time. They did both sleep a very long time, that rest bookended with activities that were decidedly more lively. They settle into seats on the cruiser's bridge. After a lascivious wink and a rather pointed, "Looks like you got him to sleep. Well played, Little Jedi. Well played," Lando disappears towards the nicer bunks.

Poe looks at the controls. "Looks like we have about six hours to go. Making a little better time than we thought." He looks at the notes Lando made on a data pad. He's glad to see that Lando had taken turns with Rose and Finn at the helm, so they'd also gotten some intermittent rest.

They've also dropped out of light speed several times, no one following them. He's surprised that they jumped so many times without him waking up. He glances at Rey's back as she looks out the large window, and he can't help but grin. He'd already been tired. Their lovemaking had been like a damned sedative for him, and he hadn't stirred until she'd started kissing his neck after they'd been asleep for eleven hours.

She turns, sensing his eyes on her. After returning his smile, she comes over to the piloting station he's using. When she gets to him, she leans down, kissing him as thoroughly as she pleases, and she feels him smile against her lips. She then sits in the seat next to his, slipping her boots off and putting her feet in his lap. He grins at the move, rubbing the bare skin of her leg between her sock and the edge of her pants.

Leaning back in her seat, she says, "Tell me about Yavin 4?"

He glances at her again, and the smile he gives her this time is soft and affectionate. He then launches into trying to paint a mental picture of his home for her, promising to show her holos of it when they get back to base. He then moves on to stories about his childhood, and surprisingly, she finds a few entertaining ones of her own to share.

By the time they're closing in on the base, they've moved on to tales from the Academy. When Lando, Rose, and Finn enter the bridge, Rey, feet still in Poe's lap, is laughing so hard that she has tears running down her face. She gasps out, "But wait, how did the tooka-cat get your underwear in the first place, and why in karking hell would you climb a tree to get them back?"

Lando leans against the console, making them both jump. "I'm guessing Corellian Rum was involved? Our boy here had a bit of a taste for it back in the day, just like his dad."

Poe grins, and Finn and Rose get closer, both of them grinning as well. He shrugs. "Well, Lando, it stands to reason. I mean, according to Dad, Corellian Rum was the cause of my conception." Lando snorts, and Poe smirks at Rey. "I mean, it's not like the timing was ideal – I was born right in the middle of the first Rebellion."

She rolls her eyes. "So the rum made you climb a tree butt naked?"

Rose laughs at that so much that she snorts, and once he's stops blinking in surprise, Finn starts too. Poe shrugs again. "Hey, it was a lot of rum. And I bet a friend that I could get them back." He lifts an eyebrow at Rey. "I never take a bet I don't believe I can win."

"And did you? Win the bet, that is?" His smile is infectious, and she returns it, adoration evident in her eyes.

"Yep. And the tooka-cat followed me home. Maz eventually took him in. She has a soft spot for strays, as I'm sure we all know." Poe turns more serious as the hyperspace alarm goes off. Lando, Finn, and Rose all take seats, and moments later, Poe is talking with command at the base.

Together, Poe and Lando land the cruiser near the base, and Leia comes out with Connix, and C'ai to greet them. Lando beats all of them off the ship, and he has Leia wrapped in a hug moments later. They stand like that for a long time, and Rey and Poe can both see that Leia is more than a little choked up. Rey tucks herself into Poe's side, taking his hand and entwining their fingers.

As Rose and Finn lead C'ai into the cruiser, Connix approaches Rey and Poe, giving Leia and Lando some space. Rey smiles at the woman, who doesn't seem to notice how she holds Poe's hand tight in her own. Rey says, "Good to see you, Lieutenant. Where's Chewie?"

Connix gives her a quick smile. "Once we heard from Lando that you were only six hours out, he got ready and left about an hour ago. He is making a quick run to meet Maz. Several of the new pilot trainees went with him. He'll be back tomorrow."

"Oh." Rey frowns, looking at Poe. "And just like that, I'm homeless for the night."

Poe squeezes her hand and is about to respond when Connix goes on, "I have space in my room, Rey. The base is actually almost full up – were cleaning things out as we find new space, but we got some new recruits yesterday."

Rey blinks. "No need. I don't want to impose."

"It's fine! I don't mind." Connix is peering up at the huge ship, completely oblivious to the slightly trapped-looking expression on Rey's face.

Poe isn't, though, and by the way she looks up, he can see that Leia isn't either. Poe tries again. "Kay, that's great of you, but Rey has a place to stay."

There must be something in Poe's voice, because Connix finally looks closely at them, her eyes widening at the sight of their joined hands. "Oh!" The woman scurries back a bit. "I'll just go see to the fighters." She retreats and follows the others into the cruiser.

"So, seems that she does actually like you in that way, Commander." Leia's voice gets their attention, and Rey tenses a little while Poe groans and rolls his eyes.

"Yes ma'am, it does seem that she does." Poe decides that trying to pretend that it's any other way would be fruitless and might honestly confuse Rey, something he is loathe to do. He can already tell that she's gone a little tense, and he can feel a bit of apprehension from her.

Rey moves closer to his side. She knows how important Leia's approval is to Poe, and she's suddenly worried that the general won't approve of them being together. Leia just smiles, though. "Rey, Lando says he delivered the lightsaber?"

Nodding, Rey motions to it on her belt. "He did. I'm so grateful, General. And it feels even better in my hands than Anakin's did."

Leia nods. "I never knew Ben Kenobi personally, but he did everything he could to protect Luke and me. My father, Bail Organa, that is, always said Ben was the best person he'd ever known, the truest." Taking a deep breath, Leia says, "Chewie took the new pilots with him because Maz managed to rustle up five more X-Wings and two A-Wings. C'ai will get one of the X-Wings that's coming."

Poe furrows his brow, but Leia goes on, "The two in there," she motions to the cruiser, "Belong to the two of you."

"Me?" Rey blinks in surprise, and Poe laughs at her wide-eyed expression.

"You, Rey." Leia smiles kindly at her. "But, given what appears to be a change in your relationship status, I need to know that you can follow his orders." She motions to Poe with her head.

Poe can't help but hold his breath a little, given the push and pull they'd had on Tatooine. But she surprises him. "Yes. I can."

"Very well, then. We can also see if we can mod R2 to go in the T-70, if you want him."

Rey bites her lip. "General, he was Master Luke's. You don't have to – "

"Luke would want it this way, Rey. I know he would." Leia reaches out and squeezes Rey's arm. "R2 can work with BB-8 to get up to speed on the T-70s."

"Thank you, Leia." Rey finally releases Poe's hand, surging forward and hugging Leia.

The older woman gives Rey a squeeze before stepping back. "Commander," she turns to Poe, "Congratulations. You'll have a squadron again very soon. And the mechanics are waiting to give your X-Wing its paint job."

He grins at that. "Thank you, Leia."

Lando and Leia move towards the cruiser then. Poe looks at Rey. "We need to go move our new ships."

Rey shakes her head in disbelief. "I can't believe Leia just gave me my own fighter."

"She's right to do so, sweetheart. I give you a week, maybe two, and you'll be as good as me. I have a feeling that together, we may be pretty scary." He reaches up and brushes her hair out of her eyes.

She grins. "But you have to teach me those turns. That was amazing."

"Happy to," he grins back, "But we need to get R2 ready for the T-70s first."

"I can't believe she just let me have Master Luke's droid. Do you think he'll like me, want to do it?" Rey looks up at him, clearly worried.

The fact that she wants a droid to like her, that she's worried about it, endears her even more to him than he can say. "He'll love you, Rey. It's kind of hard not to."

The last bit of what he said comes out more seriously than he intended, and she looks up quickly. He can tell that she's trying to process what he said when her eyes widen. She leans in and kisses him soundly, clinging tight to him.

He gives as good as he gets, wrapping one arm around her waist and cupping her face with his other hand. After a fair amount of time, they break the kiss, standing still with their foreheads pressed together. After several moments of companionable silence, Rey bumps his nose with hers and says, "It's kind of hard not to love you too, Flyboy."

He kisses her again at that. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go move our ships." He warms at that thought – having an X-Wing again has weirdly restored some of his hope, some of his confidence that they can win this. A thought occurs to him. "Maybe once we have more pilots and fighters, Leia will let us slip away for a few days. I really want my dad to meet you."

"I'd like that." They start to walk into the cruiser, and Poe's hand goes to her lower back again. "Poe? Can I ask you for something?"

"Anything, sweetheart." He gives her a curious look.

"Can I stay with you in your quarters even after Chewie gets back with the Falcon? I promise I don't take up much space." She looks up at him hopefully. "I actually sleep when you're with me. You may be the only person who has ever made me feel safe enough to sleep well."

"It's either that, or I move in with you on the Falcon, sweetheart, and I don't think Chewie would be on board. And honestly, I'm not sure about those porgs." He grins.

"Oh, they're adorable. But they do chew on your stuff. So your quarters are definitely a better idea."

"Agreed." He pauses. "Rey?"

"Yes?" She looks at him.

"Thank you."

"For what?" She tilts her head, obviously a little confused.

"For, well, everything. For saving us on Crait, for staying with us, for being here, for caring about a cause that's so new to you." He shrugs. "For giving me a chance."

The warm emotion coming from him nearly overwhelms her, and she reaches out and cups his face like he'd done to her a moment ago. "You're welcome, but you don't have to thank me for anything, Poe. And honestly, I knew I was going to give you a chance the first time you fought me hard enough to take me down when we were sparring."

She blushes a little, and he finds himself loving her a little more with every word. With a half-smile, he shakes his head. "Who knew that having a Jedi regularly kick my ass would turn out this well?" She laughs hard at that, and they head inside, hands tight together.


End file.
